Puppeteer's Requiem
by Zacatecas
Summary: It was done in less than a year, the total genocide of a people, wiped clean from existence. But, as with most stories, there exists one survivor. With abilities still not tested and a connection between his people and the Grimm, Jaune ventures forth in life searching for the answers as to why his people were marked for death.
1. Eradication

What is a soul? To many, it is the sacred core of a person; however it is shaped determines their alignment in life. By means, a soul is held to a higher standard in most societies, something pure. So unique and personal that to tamper in any way with the soul of one is disturbing enough, but to so easily and freely play with the actual souls of many was enough for the call to arms against those who would so shamefully desecrate the core of a person. It is out of fear that this call to arms is called, to nullify this heresy and restore the peace of mind. But, such action is never without repercussions, as it was to be seen on the realm of Remnant, when such beings, known only as the Reavers, huddled in isolated tribes, were hunt down for their heresy, or so the kingdoms put it. Their only crime being their shared hereditary semblance; a taboo amongst the rest of the world. Within the span of a year, the entirety of these collective tribes, scattered across the many realms of Remnant, were effectively wiped out. This form of genocide came about when it was soon discovered an ability of theirs that would give them possible total domination should they have chosen to act. From the nomadic tribes in the inland regions, to the small outposts on the coasts; all of known Remnant land was searched, each tribe found, documented, and effectively 'purified'.

In the final days of the onslaught, just outside of Mistral's rural regions, one of the last tribes left in this Kingdom was being eradicated by both Mistrillian and Atlesian military forces. The roaring of airship engines echoed throughout the ashen forest. Scorched corpses and structures dotted a small portion of the landscape. Troops and tanks were equipped with flame-based weapons to quickly make waste of their intended targets. And like those before, there was no show of mercy in this attack. Those who marched on land did so with intent. In a literal sense, no stone was left unturned. So hated were the Reavers that their existence brought about unison of nations to descend upon them, if only for a fleeting truce. A lone airship, Valen in origin, makes its descent into the middle of the scorched village, where a lone man awaits to greet whoever was brought aboard. His expression was stoic, filled with no emotion. His Atlesian uniform was covered in soot and dried blood, an indication of his part in this extermination. Once the airship touched ground, the side doors opened to reveal familiar faces. Not friendly, at the moment, but familiar.

"Headmaster, to what do I this visit?" The man spoke the way a military man would, with no emotion, but with great authority.

Descending from the ship was a silver haired man, a cane in hand. A blonde haired woman at his side kept her eyes to her scroll, intentionally ignoring the Atlesian and the carnage around her. "I've come to see what has become of the Orlean tribe." The Headmaster responded, both disappointment and pity could be read from his tone, though, his expression had not shown any emotion.

"They, like the rest of their parasitic race, have been wiped clean from Mistral." The colonel commented, the amount of pride in his tone was far from subtle, and he made no point in beating around the bush over how he felt towards these tribes. "Those in Atlas and Vacuo have also been eradicated. What of Vale?"

The Headmaster seemed hesitant to speak, for this was an operation conceived by the Atlesians and Mistrillians primarily, but the rest of the kingdoms were as well participants in this eradication. "All known tribes in Vale's borders were dealt with, per the agreement. No survivors."

The colonel hummed to himself, nodding ever so lightly whilst turning to face the burnt debris. The woman beside the Headmaster kept her eyes glued to her scroll, the smell had gotten to her, the overwhelming stench of burned flesh, fresh blood, and gun powder invaded her senses. "I know what you're thinking, Ozpin. But rest assured all we've done; we've done for the greater good. The world is safer without these things." His words were spoken without hesitance, without doubt in any sense.

Rather than respond, Ozpin continued to observe the ongoing eradication. In the distance, the screams of whatever was left of the Orleans echoed until, not a moment too soon, the sounds became too distant now. All that could be seen was the ever growing pummels of ash emerging from the forest thickets. The sight of all of this was something that, while disturbing for the Headmaster, was still a necessity he'd come to accept. The danger he foresaw in these Reavers was not one he wanted to risk for humanity. Particularly in the hands of ones he knew would manipulate these people for their power. But to kill them off, even with this, the headmaster found no logic or moral compass. And yet, despite being an influential figure in his kingdom, his pleas to have Vale remain a neutral party, his kingdom's council voted on action. So now, as cruel as it was, the headmaster was forced to oversee the eradication efforts.

Off in the distance, a lone recruit scouted the debris, searching around for any remaining survivors. The recruit had arrived with the third wave, after the initial invasion had begun. Armed only with a sidearm, she treaded the land carefully. By now the area should've been clear, but she wouldn't risk the chance. As she passed another burnt but, she heard something nearby. She drew her weapon, glancing around, waiting for whatever moment she could detect. She heard the sound again, but it was faint. The source, from what she could tell, was coming from a collapsed hut, she approached carefully. Clearing away the charcoaled door, she was met with a sight that froze her in her tracks. A child, covered in ash, was sitting beside what appeared to be scorched remains. The little one held on to what appeared to be a severed charred hand. The child seemed unfazed by all of this; her attention was only momentarily distracted by the recruit, but soon returned to the burned corpse. Knowing full well the extent of her mission, she couldn't bring herself to end this child's life. Surely, there was an exemption for children, she assumed. She holstered her weapon and kneeled down slowly. The little one shifted away. "It's ok." The recruit whispered. "It's alright, I'm not gonna hurt you." The child, if only for a moment, spoke in a whisper-like tone. But, she spoke another language, not Mistrillian. No, she spoke a language probably exclusive to her tribe. The Atlesian glanced around; her eyes caught sight of what could possibly be the child's toy. She reached over and offered it to the ashen child. The toddler, slowly, shifted towards the recruit. Her hands reached out to the toy, once in her hands, she clutched the doll, pressing it tightly against her chest. The child made no sound, but the recruit could see the tears streaming down her cheeks. "Sweetie?" The recruit whispered, gaining the little one's attention. She held out her arm, gesturing her to come with. "Come on, let's get you out of here." The child hesitated, shifting away from her ever so. "You can trust me." At this point the recruit didn't understand why she kept speaking a language the child obviously didn't understand. Regardless, be it so slowly, the child extended her arms, being lifted up and held tightly in the arms of the recruit. With the intent of seeking medical attention for the child, she ran towards her commanding officer to report her finding.

 **-A little later-**

"Colonel Ironwood!" The three turned their attention to a white haired recruit running over to the Colonel, she'd taken off helmet at some point, but the reason eluded the Colonel at the moment. The man in question faintly cringed at the sight of what the recruit drew his attention for. In her hand was a small child, no older than four or five, blonde hair, covered in ash and dried blood. The small one was clinging to a doll, seemingly made from leather, clothing weaved from silk. "Sir, I found this little one amongst the rubble." The Colonel inspected the child, though never actually touching her, merely from what he could see. He nodded, murmuring something to himself before reaching into a medipak attached to his armor's right leg. He retrieved a syringe and gestured the recruit to hold out the child's arm. When she tried, the child refused, only by some light persuasion and comfort from the recruit did the little one allow her arm to extent. Using caution, Ironwood carefully injected the syringe into the child's arm, the 'medicine' taking effect almost instantly. Her eyes were fluttering, struggling to stay open, her breathing had slowed, her body relaxed itself until the final effect of the syringe took effect; the child's body went limp.

With widened eyes the recruit watched as the little one's last breath exhaled. Her body lay lifeless in her arms as the doll she held fell to the ground. She held her head against the little one's chest hoping, praying, her assumption was false. It took only a moment for her to accept the truth; the child was gone. And yet, she still held it in her arms, refusing to believe that her commanding officer would do something so heinous. "Sir?" She looked to him, her eyes filled with shock, horror, and a bit of despair.

Ironwood merely threw the syringe away and glanced back to his recruit. "Well done, Winter. Continue surveying the area." He then walked past her still shocked body, seemingly going off to inspect or search for any other survivors in the area. But for the Schnee, she stared ever forward, her mind still catching up with the unfolding events. Walking past her was the Headmaster and his assistant.

"Yes, well done Ms. Schnee; you're now an official dog of the military." He remarked while continuing his tread after the Colonel. Behind him, his assistant walked closely, having actually glanced at what had just occurred. She felt sick to her stomach, holding her palm to her mouth, she merely acknowledged the recruit before continuing after Ozpin. One would think she'd be used to this, but given her reaction; it'd be safe to assume she had averted her attention from this genocide as much as she could.

It wasn't until they were gone from her sight that the reality sunk in; she had just brought a child to her death, one that was probably around the same age as her sister. She'd gotten the little one to trust her, made her believe that, while surrounded by all this carnage, she'd be saved to live another day. Instead, albeit slow and possibly painless, she'd died in the arms of the one who brought her just a little bit of hope. Winter fell to her knees, the child still in hand. Her expression had remained the same, but tears were now falling endlessly down her cheeks. From shock, to mildly stoic, to mere seconds from breaking down. The Schnee hung her head down, holding the child closer to her, muttering something quietly to herself as the sounds of airships grew louder, indicating the end of their mission.

Within the midst of her regret, she heard a twig snap, her head shot up, ahead of her was another child, possibly around the same age. A boy, she assumed, although given his facial features it could've also been a girl. His body froze upon being found out, though just as quickly, he bolted towards the forest. Winter, after gently placing the little one down, dashed after the boy. For a young child, he was fast, but with the help of her aura, she was able to advance forward using her glyphs, catching up to the boy and tackling him into a bushel. Just in the nick of time as well, an airship was passing overhead. After surveying the area for a bit the airship left, allowing the Schnee to poke her head out. She carefully checked her surroundings before motioning the boy to rise up. He did so, but after doing so, he turned tail and ran from the teen as fast as he could. However, she easily caught up to him, again, grabbing him by the arm, gripping him tightly as he began sputtering the same language the young one spoke. In the faint distance, she heard the engines of an Atlesian tank, hastily, she picked up the boy, who was surprisingly light for his height, and carried him as far as she could from the area. Luckily enough, the portion they were in was barely being surveyed and burned by the military, so she had time to get him further to safety.

Even with him protesting and trying to break free from her grasp, even at one point even biting her, she remained determined to get him away from her Colonel's hands. She'd seen the propaganda, she knew what this boy was, and what his people were capable of. But, she never believed the call for war meant total genocide, at least, that wasn't what the grunts were told. To see the level her people would stoop down to in response to fear, she felt sickened, but also even more determined to protect this life. Upon reaching a stream, she placed him down, still holding onto his hand as he was attempting to run away again. And again, he'd yell at her in his language. Winter reached into her medikit, hoping to find something to help clean his wounds. But, she hesitated, after seeing her CO retrieve that syringe from his own kit and unwaveringly put down a small child, she was hesitant to use them on the boy. Once she had gotten him to settle down, by means of whatever portions of food she found in her rations, she went to work on his wounds.

Limited as her supplies were, she did what she could; closing minor wounds, cleaning and disinfecting any scars or gashes. He yelped, even hissed a bit, but his tantrums had ceased. She felt relieved, no longer hearing the engines of any machine, or the shouting of her fellow soldiers. Upon noticing a smidge of dried blood on his cheek, the Schnee licked the tip of her thumb and cleaned the smudge off. The boy showed visible annoyance to this, mumbling softly and shoving her hand away similarly to how her sister did. Only, if only for this one fleeting second, she felt no guilt. But then came the overwhelming reality; this boy would never be safe, so long as people knew what he was, he'd never survive in this world. While she wanted to save him, when it came to it, she couldn't exactly go awol. But she also couldn't just leave the boy alone.

"What am I going to do?" She mumbled, fiddling with her dog tags. The boy said something, but, again, she knew nothing of his language so she couldn't understand him. Finally feeling as though she could relax, the recruit closed her eyes reaching for her canteen, only to discover it missing. Her eyes darted around until they landed on the boy taking small sips from it. She was surprised, she didn't realize how easily, or when, he had taken the canteen. In many ways she was extremely impressed, but also curious as to how he did it. Whilst keeping her eyes on him, and pondering his methods on pickpocketing, she couldn't help but notice that a small doll was sitting on his right shoulder. More questions started to arise as she didn't see this little item on him when she first saw him. Adding to the unnerving thought, Winter also took notice of an extremely thin blue string-like ring on the boy's right hand index finger. Her mind pondered on this before her eyes widened; this was what the Reavers were being hunted down for. She had heard countless rumors, some she quickly chalked up to fabrications.

For a while she couldn't keep her eyes off the doll, it was crafted from some form of wood, that much she could tell, but the little tunic she wore was possibly from some form of silk or cotton. It was dyed blue with a few touches of gold and white. The tunic itself was a one piece, but the designs where on par with the ones she had seen in Orleans. Or, at least, whatever wasn't burnt. What she found interesting was the level of work that went into the doll's eyes; in a way, they almost appeared real. Of course, given what she knew of Reaver culture, little as was available for civilians at the time, they were mostly well known for being expert artisans, primarily in wood and silk. Not exactly something that gave an insight into the reason for eradicating them. Out of curiosity, Winter reached for the little toy, only to have the boy smack her hand away and yelled at her again. Only this time, she intended to respond. However, upon hearing faint airship engines, fear began a great amount of fear was building up within her. She had acted on impulse and had taken the child away, completely disregarding the order she had been given by her commanding officer. She had protected a Reaver, something obviously despised by the kingdoms, and treated as if neither on equal footing with humans or faunus. She didn't know what to do, she had signed up to see the world and get away from her family, but she never imagined she'd be in a scenario like this. Would she have to betray her kingdom to protect this child, or allow the inevitable to occur?

Panicking over this situation, a rustle in the thickets caught her attention, forcing her to draw her sidearm and rush to the boy's side. She held the weapon out whilst keeping the child close to her. Winter knew what would become of her should she chose to side with the boy, but every fiber of her being couldn't allow something like this to happen, not again. Expecting her fellow Atlesians to emerge from the forest, she held her weapon at the ready, her finger trembled on the trigger. Instead a few dozen faunus appeared, a rather large one came about not too long after the others. The blue insignia on their armbands was unmistakable; White Fang. She had heard of the peaceful protests they conducted, and of the manner in which the local law enforcement was tasked with breaking their protests apart. Of course, that also included the other more well recognized assassinations done in the name of their order by a splinter faction. She kept her aim to the big one, it would make taking on the others easier once he went down. Though, what they did next surprised the Schnee. They each raised their arms up, as did the big one. He stood forward, slowly, whilst keeping sure not to provoke an unnecessary incident.

"Atlesian, we've not come to fight." The big one proclaimed, his voice booming, threatening and slightly intimidating. And yet, oddly enough, also calming.

"Then why are you here?" Winter asked, hesitantly.

"We've come on behalf of our people in Menagerie. Our people caught wind of the Reaver eradication campaign, so we've-"

"Come to help? Afraid you're a little late, the last of the tribes here in Mistral have been wiped out." The small group of faunus showed visible shock at her statement, as did their leader, though, his was followed by a sullen expression. It put off the eldest Schnee, but it didn't deter her enough to lower her weapon.

"I see…then it would seem they've all been destroyed then." The tall faunus muttered loud enough for the white-haired teen to hear.

"What?" She hesitantly asked, unsure if she would really want that statement clarified.

Looking towards the Atlesian soldier with a mix of disdain and pity, the faunus gestured to the child in the soldier's arms. "The death of the tribes here in Mistral, all Reavers have been effectively killed off the face of Remnant, save for the child in your arms."

Keeping her pistol aimed at the faunus, Winter looked down at the child, and for the first time she noticed his ocean blue eyes. She could see the fear in his eyes, all that he'd seen that day would stay with him. As if looking into a mirror, innocence was lost to this little one. The elder Schnee felt another pang of guilt as she realized what this meant for him; to be the last of his kind. Of course, while still technically human, this boy was now the last Reaver in Remnant. The last of his people.

The large faunus stood forward cautiously, as the gun was still aimed at him. "We didn't come to assist in the eradication; we came to help the Reavers. But, it appears we didn't make it in time."

"Why would you help them?" The Schnee asked, her eyes finally detaching themselves from the boy. "What business do you have with the Reavers?"

"We know a thing or two of being despised by a group of individuals." He responded bluntly. For a moment, Winter lowered her weapon, she held the boy closer, a fear tears had managed to escape as she eventually dropped her weapon. She fell to her knees while still keeping the child close to her.

"I didn't sign up for this." She muttered, cursing her decision to join the military. The thundering footsteps of the larger faunus grew ever louder, she could feel him towering over her. She expected him to berate her, to look down upon her as an aggressor or simply an ignorant teenage who enlisted with delusions of grandeur.

"Even so, you risked your own to protect this boy. But from here on out, all of the four kingdoms will be on alert, hiding him will become ever more difficult with tensions still high. Let me help; I can take him back to my homeland, there he can run free and grow. No government would find him." His offer, while would solve the Schnee's issue over whether she should keep the boy or not, only caused her to shield the boy again, shifting away from him. The faunus could see sense the protective nature of this soldier, she had only met him, of course she wouldn't allow him to go near the child. Hearing the roaring engines of an airship closing in, the faunus used one card he'd hope to gain the soldier's trust, if only to ensure that the boy was in capable hands. "I swear to you, as chieftain of Menagerie, I will keep him safe."

"You're Ghira Belladonna?" She was as surprised to see Menagerie's leader as she was confused. She could understand a scouting party, or a small detachment sent to gather whatever survivors possible, but for him to come searching himself. She wasn't as wary as she had been a few moments ago, but there still remained the uncertainty of the boy living in Menagerie. Would he be better off? Could he live amongst the faunus safely? All of these unnerving fears came crashing down at the worst of times. With the sound of Atlesian airships growing ever closer, in a split decision, Winter took one last look at the boy, imprinting what could be the last time she'd ever see him. Reluctantly, she hugs him one last time before rising up and slowly backing away. The chieftain of Menagerie kneeled beside the boy as he had attempted to follow her. Ghira, in a surprising twist to the Schnee, spoke in the same language as the boy.

[Do not fret, we know of a place you will be safe from these hunters.] The boy wasn't too surprised, but rather, appeared somewhat relaxed to hear someone speak his language, thinking perhaps he was of a brother tribe nearby. Still, the blond child turned back towards the woman speaking again in his tongue. Once he had finished, Ghira could see the soldier look to him for clarification. "He thanks you for saving him."

While glad she had saved a life, Winter couldn't help but think of the girl she failed earlier. As she turned to leave, she took one last side glance at the boy before turning her gaze back to the chieftain. "Keep him safe, or I swear as a Schnee, I will give you hell, Belladonna." Upon announcing her name came more shook from the small group of White Fang. Though, they didn't have a chance to further the conversation as she had sprint towards the airships. Perhaps in the hopes to give them time to escape. Whatever the reason, they had what they came for. Ghira gestured to his own to retreat back into the thickets, him following with the boy in hand. The trek home would be long, but he would not return empty handed. He would return with a Reaver, only, whether he was truly the last one was up to if anymore would come to notoriety in the future. For now, he would do his part in keeping the lad safe, by means of one manner he had come up with.

 **-Menagerie, Kuo Kuana-**

"You did WHAT?!" Echoed an almost frightening screech that sent shivers down most of who heard the outburst. After having arrived home with a partially cleaned child, still wearing a burned tunic, and clutching a doll in hand, Ghira's wife had gone a bit overboard when she took it upon herself to clean the child up. The smallest surprise was for her to realize the child was a boy, given his facial features, and the toy he had, she assumed otherwise. But, perhaps biggest shock, from which came her outburst was realizing from where Ghira acquired the blond. Being taken aside as the boy ate, Kali actually pulled her husband by the ear to another room. Knowing full well the dangers of harboring a Reaver during an ongoing hunt for their kind could present a grand danger for all of Menagerie. On the other hand, if he could manage to control his powers, he'd prove to be a valuable ally to the faunus of said continent, provided he remain a secret for now.

"Sweetheart, I know what you're going to say, but first let me-"

"No, I speak first, and then you speak." Kali's tone, while still hushed, carried just as much authority. "With all that's been happening, you decide to endanger our people by means of bringing a Reaver to our village. To OUR home. Did you even stop to think of what could happen if the other kingdoms discover we're harboring him?"

"I've thought of it, believe me I have. But I couldn't sit by and allow a genocide to go about and not act." His voice remained a whisper, though, if only for a second it raised ever so.

"Genocide? But, the governments spoke of radical Reaver clans." Kali's tone had shifted, she'd been told that a radical group of Reavers had formed, leaving the kingdoms with little choice but to act on these terrorists. But for her husband to say that they've been slaughtering the people indiscriminately.

"They lied, like always." Ghira muttered, remembering seeing the columns of smoke, hearing the cries for help, and the stench. "We arrived too late in Mistral; all the clans were wiped out. They're all gone, Kali. This boy is the only one left."

Meanwhile, after having finished the meal given to him, and watching the woman drag her husband away, the boy was left to himself in the dining hall. He'd been changed into a tunic similar to the one the woman wore, which at this point he assumed was for a girl to wear. But, he thought nothing of it. Instead, the boy retrieved, from who knows where, the doll he held unto in the forest. He didn't play with it; he just simply gazed at it, allowing him to be lost in his thoughts.

Although, as he quickly realized; he wasn't alone. His eyes glanced to the side, a young girl, possibly around his age looked at him with confusion and some hint of curiosity. Her amber eyes were staring at him with what he could now identify as; extreme curiosity, perhaps due to the doll, his presence, or something he just didn't see. Regardless, he kept silent, hoping the older folk would return soon, at least before she spoke…they didn't.

"Hi." He glanced back to the girl, whose ears twitched. He didn't understand what she had said, but for the sake of curtesy he waved at her. To which must've had a positive reaction as she approached him just a bit. "My name is Blake. What's yours?"

[What?] He asked, speaking for the first time since he arrived, but not sure whether she too knew how to speak his language. Judging by the confused expression she sported, it was safe to assume she didn't know, but it appeared as if that didn't deter her.

Realizing there would be a language barrier, the young faunus looked around, only wondering where her parents were or how the boy arrived. Her attention was instantly caught by the doll in his hands, it wasn't so much the doll, but how it was designed to resemble a miniature person. Noticing the young faunus' attention was now on his possession, a faint smirk appeared on the boy's lip. A faint glowing string appeared from his finger tip, attaching itself to the doll's head and seemingly disappearing. A few seconds pass and the young faunus watched as the little toy rose up in its owner's hand, wave at her, then chase after her. Blake giggled as the doll floated above and chased her around the room. Upon stopping in front of the blond, the doll seemingly fell back down as the glowing string retreated back into the boy's fingertip. He offered his right hand to her, hesitantly.

"Jaune."

 **Hey everyone, so I've been watching RWBY again and lemme just say…healing? Really, that's what they went with? I mean they have been hinting at it, I just kinda hoped there would be more to it. And hey, maybe there will be. Regardless, I had this story in a draft, kept changing over time and I just never got back to it, so me and a friend got around to it, made some tweaks and…boom; a new story. Now, we know this isn't canon, believe me I don't need that argument thrown at me right now. While the canon version has Jaune's power as ?healing? Our take will focus on another form that really caught our interest lately. Please give it a chance; I really hope you all stick around for the next chapter. Ciao!**


	2. New Arrival

Two months following the end of the Eradication campaign, news of the massacre was limited to the kingdom's labeling the Reaver tribes as fanatical cultists in their entirety, pushed from their land towards a central location to be kept a close eye on. An entire town was erected on the southern tundra of Solitas, of course, this was but a facade. The empty buildings were mere display, as the Reavers they were meant to house were no longer amongst the living. Though, in an interesting twist, the lands occupied by Reavers were almost instantly overrun with Grimm, forcing the kingdom forces to abandon their newly gained territories. Casualties were minimal, though, the wasted resources on the invasion and the retreat were to be a hindrance for years to come. To the world, the campaign was successful; Reavers were no longer a threat. Though, as with those with morals, many a few who participated in the eradication allowed specks of information to leak. Still, having complete control, the kingdom councils were quick to divert the public's attention. Save for Menagerie, where, while the information towards the campaign was open to the public, the entirety of the continent remained neutral on the subject. Not so much the people as the country's stance when compared to the other kingdom's participance. That being said, the surviving Reaver of the Eradication was taken to Menagerie, under the condition that those who took him would have to care for him or else face the heat of an angered Schnee.

If that little spout wasn't threatening enough, within the two months pass, a letter arrived for the chieftain, indicating that the Schnee woman would be keeping a close eye on the young boy. However manner she intended to go about this was something the chieftain payed little mind to. Rather, Ghira's concern was fearing where the young Reaver would escape to. For instance, if he was not watching or teaching the young blond, he'd have a guard or two keep a close eye on him. On some occasions, Kali would watch over Jaune, and while there were limited interactions due to the language barrier, it wasn't so much of a problem considering the boy rarely spoke. He came to understand simple gestures and words that his caretakers used, picking up a few phrases along the way as well. As it was, Ghira could awaken each morning feeling confident that the boy wouldn't wander off too far, considering the new environment. But, of course, that wasn't entirely the case.

Waking one morning, Ghira wandered into his home's kitchen, prepared to make himself a hot brew of coffee before continuing with whatever errands he needed to run that day. Though, as he was about to search for a kettle, he quickly took notice of a kettle already over the stove, an oddity, considering no one should be awake this early. Approaching the heated kettle, the chieftain kept his guard up, his senses on alert to pick up any irregularities.

"Good morning, Belladonna." The chieftain drew a blade towards the sound of the voice, stopping only when the tip of his blade neared the unknown's neck. Though. Upon taking an immediate glance, the man realized this was no unknown, but they weren't exactly welcomed in his home, considering her family's reputation. It slightly irritated him that she was able to sneak into his home like this, more so that she went ahead and made herself some coffee and waited for him patiently.

"Ms. Schnee." He greeted back, sheeting his blade whilst keeping a close eye around him for any more surprises.

"It's only me, no need to act so wary." She commented, rather calmly. Nothing like the way she was when he first met her. This Schnee was calm, collected, and seemed in control. Whereas the one from the forest was the complete opposite. Perhaps having had enough time meditate on the situation, she came to terms with her involvement in the campaign. Or so he first thought, upon first glance, she appeared calm. But taking a close look at her palms, the Faunus noticed her faint trembling. As were her eyes seemingly wavering.

"An unknown woman sneaks her way into my family's home and serves herself a cup of coffee whilst my kin and I slept; I believe I reserve the right to act somewhat wary." The chieftain responded, taking a seat across from the silver-haired woman.

His response brought about a faint grin, followed by a whisper-like chuckle. "Alright, I give you that. But we aren't exactly strangers anymore, are we?"

"Depends on your definition. Beside the idle chit-chat, what are you doing in Menagerie? This isn't the place I'd expect a Schnee to be found in, considering the tension between my people and your family." Ghira wasted no time for subtlety, the situation at the moment called for the two to be frank and speak of what was going to be planned out for the future, and who would be involved.

"I believe me letter expressed my intention to stop by every once in a while to check on the boy. I intend to make my visits whenever I'm on leave and perhaps for holidays as well. And yes, while my family does have a controversial history with the Faunus, I don't share the same views as my father. Which has in turn prompted me to seek my place in the world on my own accord...however..." Winter glanced towards her half-empty cup, her facade was collapsing. "Perhaps I should've explored my other options before settling with the military." The room grew eerily quiet as both the Schnee and chieftain made sound; only by the clearing of the Schnee heiress did the conversation regain footing. "That aside, how is he? May I see him?"

The chieftain took a minute to wonder whether allowing this woman to see the boy was going to have any repercussions, particularly since she was part of the force that destroyed Jaune's people. On that note, he did thank her for saving him, albeit with some hint of anger in his tone. Deciding to simply see how this would turn out, Ghira nodded and rose up to go fetch the blond. Just before leaving the kitchen, he turned back to the heiress. "His name is Jaune, or so my daughter tells me. He rarely speaks to me or my wife, but he does try. Don't expect him to hold a long conversation; his grasp on our language is basic at best." And with that, he walked off, leaving the Schnee with that bit of information.

For the heiress, she was content with finally having something to call him other than 'boy'. So much that she tested the name herself, calling it out softly. It seemed to roll off the tongue. "Jaune...Jaune...Jaune." It was short and sweet.

"Yes?" With widened eyes, the woman jumped, turning towards the source of the sound, only to come face-to-face with the source of the response; a familiar doll floating at eye level. Though, just for that split second, the Schnee yelped rather loudly, covering her mouth as she quickly realized who it was. Jaune awoke early, so it seems, and his little trick with his doll was ever so intriguing as it was mildly frightening. Though, the heiress took notice of the black bow on the doll's head. After catching her breath and regaining her calm composure, the heiress glanced around, noticing Jaune standing by a corridor, peeking into the kitchen. "Jaune, can you come here?" Winter gestured for him to approach her, but he remained in his spot. Winter heard a faint whisper coming from the boy's direction; he turned back to the hallway, as if to give attention to someone else, and then turning back to Winter. Very slowly, he emerged from hall, dressed in attire that drew attention to his more feminine features. Although, it didn't appear as though it bothered him. Rather, he hesitated when approaching her. It was understandable; of course he'd remember her. There was no way he'd forget, or forgive.

Although, to her surprise, as she expected him to simply turn away from her, she failed to take notice of one of his hands hidden behind his back. He revealed the item in hand, that being a doll similar to his. It had movable joints, made from wood and polished, the skin painted a pale-like tone, short milky white hair, and a one piece white dress, decorated in turquoise snow flake patterns. The object was handmade, per the bandages and minor bruises on his hands. And yet, for a doll in this condition, she was surprised. More of a surprise was him handing the doll to her, gesturing her to take it. Hesitant at first, Winter received the toy, noticing how detailed the face features were, almost as if staring at a miniature person. Glancing back to Jaune, she was startled to see the boy's doll lying idly atop his head. It was at this point that she noticed the eyes of Jaune's doll were not wooden; they were made to resemble actual eyes. It was an eerie sight, particularly since it appeared as if the doll was actually staring right at her.

"He's been working on that for a while." All eyes glanced behind the Schnee heiress, Kali stood by the doorway with a faint smile. "I can't tell you how many nights I've caught him working on that little piece." The matriarch walked calmly over, taking a stand just enough to stand between the unknown woman and Jaune. Her peaceful smile was soon replaced with an emotionless expression. Startling, and greatly unsettling the heiress. "And who might you be?" She asked while placing her hand protectively over the blond's head, pressing him towards her.

For a split second, Winter was at a loss for words. Or rather, she had no idea what she could say to this woman that wouldn't trigger any alarms. Of course, having snuck into her residence and made coffee for herself was enough to call upon the guards without the need for pleasantries. Still, what to say that kept damage at a minimal was an ongoing issue at the moment. In the hopes of keeping her identity to only a select few, she avoided using her name, and chose to simply avoid the topic. "I've come to check up on Jaune. I sent a letter to Ghira a while back." Better to throw in the husband who said nothing to his wife.

"I see, and what might your relation to Jaune be?" Kali asked, skeptically.

"I'm...his..." Jaune showed he knew her, as Ghira said; the blond was quiet and reserved most of the time, so him actually approaching her should've showed that she wasn't hostile. And yet, here stood the eldest Schnee, pondering what to say to this woman that would not lead to a brawl.

Entering at almost the perfect moment, Ghira took the attention of the two women as he entered the kitchen, Blake at his side. "I see Jaune is already up." He commented. "Blake, why don't you and Jaune go play outside for a bit?" Without needing to be told twice, the young Belladonna raced over to the blond and pulled him towards the backyard. The boy didn't resist, rather, he followed closely behind with his doll seemingly hovering over him.

To see him use his power at such a young age, the elder Schnee wondered how the boy's tribe would've fared if they had been prepared. Once the children were far from hearing range, the Belladonna patriarch cleared his throat and gestured Winter to join him as he sat down in the kitchen table. The heiress, while hesitant on account of the man's wife still giving her a cautious stare, sat across from the chieftain.

"Now then, you've seen him, what's your take?" He asked the heiress, his wife confused and a bit annoyed at being ignored almost instantly. She sat beside her husband, nudging him. "Oh, before that, allow me to introduce you; this is my wife, Kali Belladonna. Kali, this young woman saved Jaune in the forest, Winter Schnee."

Almost as if time itself had stopped, Kali was now privy to who this white haired intruder was; a Schnee. She'd heard the rumors of the latter's family corporation's treatment of Faunus, and yet here stood one before her. The atmosphere had grown cold, not with hostility, but rather with an unsettling silence. This heiress was but the same age as a first year huntress, and yet her posture demanded as much authority as her name did. However, the wavering doubt in her eyes were what crumbled her intimidating demeanor, at least for the Belladonna matriarch.

"Well...I'm...i...it's a pleasure, Ms. Schnee."

"You don't have to force yourself Ms. Belladonna." She assured the woman, keeping a sense of authority while also remembering who it was she was speaking to. Winter then turned her attention to the chieftain. "I'd like to speak with him, if at all possible."

"Of course, I'll have to come with you, there's still the matter of translation. He's picking up on our language, but I also want him to keep speaking his language. It's not something he should forget." The chieftain commented.

"I'm curious, how is it you know the Reaver language? I thought they were isolationists." Winter recounted as she and the chieftain arose and began walking towards where the children were, Kali not too far behind.

"They are...were." He quickly corrected. "However, in my travels, I came across a few Reavers, spent the better half of my travels with one particular. I was taught the language by my companion, mostly using it when passing through other tribal territories..." The chieftain chuckled softly; his wife was visibly uncomfortable, mostly on par for how she knew this story would end. The man stopped before the door, his lighthearted expression had shifted. "In a way, my companion, she guided me. And now it falls on me to guide her young." He muttered not so quietly. Upon opening the door to the backyard, the three adults were greeted to the sight of one of Blake's giant plushies being controlled by the young blond. The stuffed golden dragon was circling over a makeshift wooden castle, the Belladonna child was dressed in plastic armor whilst the blond Reaver was dressed in a black and yellow kimono, decorated in patterns representing either flames or lightening. Regardless, Blake appeared excited and nearly bursting with laughter as she raised a wooden sword to the dragon and shouted.

"Beast of the mountain, your reign of terror has come to an end! Fear not, young maiden, for your saviors have come!" Having little knowledge of the language, Jaune was unable to pick up a particular word the girl had shouted. Although, having been raised in the forest, at his age, being aware of his surroundings was a factor engraved into him. As such, he quickly picked up on movement around him. The dragon's body shifted, darting towards the rear end of the castle, jumping out from what appeared to be a bushel was a young girl with short brown hair and tanned skin. As the dragon chased after her, she giggled, all the while sporting a wide grin. It didn't take long for the blond to hear the small doors to the castle being fiercely pushed open. Blake had rushed in, and thanks to her loud entrance, the blond managed to use the two dolls he hid by the doors to ambush her. And they did, caught completely by surprise, Blake shifted backwards when she came face to face with Jaune's handmade dolls. They weren't dressed or fashioned yet, they were simply the skeletal figures of the dolls. Armed with wooden sticks, they charged at her. To the children this was as any game a child could play, but to the adults, they saw something else.

Blake wasn't exactly gifted with a sword and shield, but she held her own against the dolls, and it was a challenge indeed considering they mimicked the styles her father would use on her. While not as aggressive as he was, the two dolls still gave the young Faunus a bit of a skirmish. Jaune was testing the reach of his 'strings', at first being only a few inches, now extending to a few yards. Whilst seemingly quite a huge leap for so young a child, having done this almost every day since he arrived, it shouldn't be much of a surprise. As for the other child…

"Ilia! Now!" Blake yelled out, the Faunus in question almost instantly vanished into thin air. And yet, a ripple in the air could be seen, if paid enough attention to. The blond wasn't, so it seemed, as attentive as the Faunus girls, but he wasn't slow either. The dragon returned to its master's side. Jaune stood up high, the dragon foiled around him, acting as a shield. The two dolls as well retreated momentarily to the side of their master. "I see, so it was you, maiden, who was controlling the dragon all this time. You fiend!" Blake yelled out. The yellow dragon darted forward, Blake held up her shield as the toy clashed with her, pushing the young Faunus backs a few feet. Jaune wiggled about his fingers, the dolls then circled around him as his eyes scanned the area.

While simply being a toy, the plushy was still able to keep the young Belladonna in check. No matter how much she tried to push the dragon off her, she found herself being pressured downwards. Jaune had begun breathing heavily, signifying his limit being reached as their game went on. And yet, he continued to push further with no intention of losing this game.

Without so much as a warning, the blond was suddenly face to face with the chameleon girl as she had sprung from beneath him. She smiled while flicking his nose; the boy frowned as his fingers wiggled, causing the dolls and dragon to fall limply on the ground. He muttered something in his tongue, catching the attention of the chieftain.

[Jaune, language!] The blond flinched, albeit lightly. The girls giggled at him whilst he hid within the castle tower. The boy had still not gotten used to the Faunus' ability to hear better than a human. Thus, his little quiet tantrums didn't go unnoticed anymore.

The eldest Schnee looked upon this little display with a hint of admiration, but surprise most of all. "This almost felt like training instead of simple child's game." She commented, taking note of the way the children handled each obstacle.

The chieftain chuckled at her statement. "Yes, well, I suppose I am to blame for that. I wanted both Blake and Jaune to train, but I also wanted them to enjoy their youth. What better way then by having them use their semblances in their games. They train, and they enjoy themselves."

"Isn't that a tad dangerous? They're only children." Winter commented.

"I said the same thing." Kali muttered, lightly jabbing her husband's sides.

"On a separate topic…" The Schnee turned her attention to the girl giggling at Jaune's resistance to leave the tower. The boy gestured Blake to give him his tunic, to which she promised to oblige if he showed their friend the kimono. The boy's face had turned a mild shade of red as he did stand up; swiping his cloths away the moment the opportunity arose. "Who might that young one be?"

"Ilia Amitola, one of Blake's friends. The two have been close since they met, although…" Kali crossed her arms as she took notice of the chameleon girl pinching the blond's cheeks playfully. Almost too playfully, or rather, in a near sadistic-like manner. More so this behavior was seen when Blake's attention was on the blond boy. "I can't say she's too fond of Jaune." The adults watched as, whenever given the chance, Ilia would either tease the boy or ignore him completely.

While this could've been fed to the factor that Jaune wasn't adept in their language, Blake still seemed eager to hold a conversation with him, even if she couldn't understand him. Ilia just didn't seem to care regardless. Still, the blond either held in his annoyance towards her attitude rather calmly. That or he just didn't seem to care.

Speaking of which, Blake seemed overly excited about something as she suddenly dashed into her home, leaving her two companions alone. Which, while worrying for the adults, turned out to be rather interesting.

Ilia sat a few feet away from the blond, her attention focused on the castle and the toys. Her mind wandered around for a moment before noticing a doll lying atop the boy's head. This toy was one she never saw before, consider how attached her eyes were to it. Although, another explanation could've been the black ribbon tied to the doll's back. It didn't go with the ensemble the doll was dressed with.

Jaune was an anomaly to the faunus girl, whenever he was alone he'd either stay quiet and wait for someone to address him, or he'd be staring aimlessly at his doll. Another thing, why the boy was playing with dolls to begin with confused her. Adding to it, the fact that on more than one condition Blake and her would dress him up in many types of attire the two could get their hands on, and in no way did he fight back or argue.

Glancing away from the doll and at the boy, she recoiled a bit when she found his eyes on her. His expression was as emotionless as always, but for once in the small amount of time he knew her, he extended his arm and offered her his doll. "Want see?" he asked, his attempt to speak to her was met with quite of a bit of hesitation as he knew very little.

Out of curiosity Ilia took the doll, and looked it over with much interest. She was indeed impressed with the amount of work put into this toy. Although, she couldn't help but feel slightly uneasy whenever she was staring at directly into the doll's eyes, for some strange reason she felt it look straight back her. It wasn't until she turned the doll's head towards the side that the eyes suddenly gazed to her. The young faunus screamed as she slid away from the doll, dropping it as soon as the toy started moving on its own. The toy arose from where it was dropped, looked around and ran towards the blond boy whom picked it up and held it in his arms.

At first needing a moment to recollect herself, the young faunus' expression shifted almost instantly as she walked over towards the boy and pointed at him accusingly. "You're so such a…FREAK!"

"Freak?" Jaune parroted, confused by what the word meant. Though, not oblivious to the girl's growing anger as he backed away cautiously.

"Yes! A freak! What kind of boy plays with dolls? What kind of boy lets girls dress him up and not have a problem with it? What's wrong with you?" the girl's ever growing anger grew as she took one last breath before shouting at the young Reaver. "Why won't you go home already?!"

After her little outburst, silence quickly followed; however, the atmosphere had shifted drastically. Of course, the only one who could feel the sudden chill was due to being beside two very angry women. Kali had taken to the boy; he helped around the house, made an effort to learn to speak their language, was well-mannered, and was indeed active when he wasn't crafting dolls. Granted, she understood the boy's tendency to play small pranks, particularly with his dolls, Blake being the mastermind behind most of the schemes. To see him be picked on like this left her with a growing anger, regardless if the girl was a friend of Blake's. Winter's was partially similar to Kali's, though, hers and the Belladonna's anger grew when they saw the dejected look on the boy's face.

Feeling the need to intervene before the two women did, Ghira approached the two children, only to hear something that kept him frozen in place.

"Home…" Jaune mumbled in a whisper-like tone. "Home…burn."

Ilia's anger had subsided partially; confusion had taken over as she saw the emptiness in Jaune's eyes. "Home burn?" She asked, an aching feeling grew in her chest as she saw the boy's expression shift.

He nodded. "Home burn…family burn…everyone…burn." His voice grew shaky. "Humans burn us…" the boy's head drifted downwards as he recollected the events he lived through not too long ago. Ilia's anger had subsided; a look of shock had taken over. Granted, she didn't know much of the blond, but still, she couldn't help but feel a hint of regret for bursting at him, mostly for calling him a freak. As she looked up, she caught her friend standing behind her father, having heard what the boy had spoken, she too was frozen in place. Ignoring both the calls from Blake and the two adult women attempting to stop him at the doorway he continued pacing hurriedly to his room. He shed no tears; rather, he held them back.

 **-Jaune's room-**

Before coming to the blond's room, the Belladonna patriarch had to sedate the two adults who seemed ready to chew out the young faunus, after which he sat his daughter and her friend down and explained, albeit partially, why Jaune was living with them, the look of regret instantly took over Amitola, whilst Blake was more or less pondering on this sudden revelation in deep thought.

Once having had the talk with the girls, Ghira made his way to the blond's room, stopping only when he was just outside the door. As he was to knock, he heard a voice from the inside, curious as to what it was he leaned ever so against the door. He picked up what appeared to be a humming of sorts, a lullaby if you would. If listened closely, an argument could be made that it belonged to the heiress. How she was able to sneak past the man's wife was something that both disturbed and intrigued the old Belladonna. But more importantly, he listened in, wondering what exactly would transpire between the two.

After a little while of listening in, Ghira attempted to take a quick glance inside. Once opening the door, he was greeted by what looked to be a small collection of dolls dressed in what could only be described as tribal clothing. The humming, for some reason unsurprisingly, was coming from the boy. He was humming to himself whilst moving his dolls about. They were dancing, the dolls, by control of the boy, danced to his tune. It was surprising, to say the least, while each doll wasn't as large as the one Jaune had with him almost always, the amount of them that he was able to control was still a feat to behold.

But, in less than a second, the dolls all fell lifeless; the blue rings around the boy's fingers had faded. All but one, the one controlling his personal doll. It hovered in front of him; its hand caressing his cheek, its expression had…changed. The brows had moved, as did the apparent eyelids that were just now seen on the doll. The way it moved, the manner in which it…comforted him sent a chill up the faunus' spine. If he didn't know better, he would've assumed the doll was actually sentient. Finding it odd that the boy would have his doll comfort him, the Belladonna patriarch decided to leave him be for now. Later he'd have the boy and Amitola reconcile, or try to at least.

What he didn't see before leaving, and perhaps best if he didn't, was the doll's head turning to him, its eyes focused on where he once stood. Within its seemingly empty eyes, where nothing should be, therein was something to be found; the secret of the Reavers. Oh so clearly, the doll, whilst not moving its lips, echoed from within its hallowed shell.

 _"Ruby."_

 **And a new chapter is done. Real quick, I dug a bit more on what Jaune's semblance, thank you guys for filling me in as well. Be that as it may, I'm still keeping his semblance in my story different. And as for the Naruto puppet thing, I actually haven't seen Naruto in a long time…really long time now that I think about it, but I did look into how the ninjas from Suna use their puppets, and I gotta say, it was both a nice read and gave me plenty of ideas to use. Nothing to obvious, but enough to keep the whole thing interesting. In any case, what exactly Jaune's semblance is won't be revealed until much later on.**


	3. Shared Home

**-7 years later-**

In the years following, there was peace, so to speak. The reports of Grimm attacks had lessened, small settlements had prospered, if slowly. Though, the world was still in its own turmoil, small as they were compared to the Eradication. The Faunus has grown tired of their treatment, from all corners of Remnant, the white fang's ideals had radicalized, and their actions grew violent to the point that they were soon appropriately branded as terrorists. Many former members, ones who sought equality through peace were quickly demonized by their former kin, whilst also seen as threats in the eyes of humans. In short, there was no escaping the hatred of either side. Though, in Menagerie, only one former member regained respect amongst his people, even if he stood down from leading the organization.

Ghira was many things, but the leader of such an organization he was not. Remaining as chieftain of his people, he led the small continent of Menagerie into neutrality, taking neither the side of the kingdoms, nor that of the organization that sought equality and change through force. Yet, while his view of new White Fang had settled with his people, there was one he had yet to persuade. To those who knew the family, the Belladonna chieftain had two children, his daughter, Blake, who was still an active member of the White Fang, leading protests and demonstrations whenever she could. To many, she was almost a mirrored image of her father, although, her willingness to embrace the newer ideals of the organization left the old Belladonna with a sense of constant worry for his child. Blake was, by all means, dedicated to her people, though, the way in which she fights for them was perhaps leading to more problems than it was for solutions.

As for the second, while it was made clear the child was taken in by the chieftain, the boy was still treated as he was the Belladonna patriarch's own flesh and blood. And, in a surprising twist, to many at least, when asked to join the White Fang with his 'sister' the blond responded 'I don't seek to be a part of someone's personal vendetta.' Or rather, something along those lines, considering he was still working off his accent. He knew the language well enough by know, but his accent left him with a few roadblocks in terms of communication. Still, his words rippled, mainly in annoyance to one particular member; the one who personally recruited Blake. The red-haired Adam Taurus, loud and rash; a man of action. Perhaps that was the reason many took to him.

Regardless, Jaune refused to partake in 'his White Fang' as he dubbed it, rather, the boy held with him the old banner of the White Fang, standing by the original intention; to gain equality through understanding, rather than force. It would be a long process, and if it worked, he might not live to see true equality, but he stood with it. Something many, including Ghira, greatly admired. Although, it was through this that he and Blake walked separate paths.

The two would often speak, but it never ended well, mostly due to Blake attempting to convince him of how the new White Fang would truly make a change, whilst he simply ignored her and remained with his stance against their new ideals. If Ilia were still around, she would've easily taken Blake's side, though, given what had occurred between her and Taurus, he doubted Ilia would be on anyone's side for long.

Nowadays, as to where they could be found; Blake would go to meetings mostly, or take on combat training with Taurus. Jaune on the other hand, feeling the need to make himself useful, and with Kali's blessing, after many weeks of convincing, took on a small job at a restaurant near the port.

For the most part, all he did was serving and occasionally cooking, gaining a good relation with the workers at his place of work. The only downside was the occasional drunk or onlooker. The drunks were to be cut off, or, if they caused too much of a disturbance, thrown out. The onlookers were more of a trouble, mostly due to his uniform.

See, the boy was made to wear a black tunic shirt with golden flowers near the neck and adorned across the waist. As per the tropical climate, he wore shorts that went past his knees, with two small black ribbons tied to the side. As per the finishing touch, a little mole was neatly painted on a place just under his right eye. His hair wasn't too long, but there was enough for a single a small braid on the left side. All in all, as per the modern term; he was a trap. And, in every meaning of the word as well. One would think his uniform was due to a little teasing from his coworkers, well, not exactly.

Sitting at the restaurants bar, two women sat patiently waiting for Jaune's shift to end. One was smiling contently, while the other was visibly worried at seeing the boy dressed as he was.

"Remind me again, why did you order him to dress like this, Kali?" The baby blue-eyed woman asked.

In turn, the ever so smiling Belladonna responded. "Well, he said he wanted to earn his own, so I agreed he should. As for the attire...well, it's rather adorable, wouldn't you agree?" She gushed, even after the many cloths she had Jaune try on over the years; this one was perhaps one of her favorites.

"While I agree, I can't help but feel like you're enjoying toying with my little one too much." The woman mumbled, seemingly withholding a bit of annoyance from seeping into her tone, while also fighting the urge to, as well, gush over how well her boy pulled off the attire.

"Calm yourself, Winny, he's in good hands. As you can see, per my orders, all eyes are on him, so nothing can happen without someone noticing. By the way, the snow is seeping." She muttered that last bit, causing the woman to reach up and adjust her hair to keep the milky white from showing. "I'm surprised at you." The sudden proclamation caught Winter by surprise as she was in the midst of adjusting her wig when the Belladonna matriarch complimented her.

"What for?" She asked, confused and curious.

Kali smiled and turned her attention back to Jaune. "When you started visiting, I assumed you'd eventually get too 'busy' and no longer come. Imagine my...surprise..." she seethed out. "When you announced you'd be adopting him." There a sliver of fear that remained, remembering how the woman reacted to the information. "And even when all was said and done, when you...took him from us..." The way Kali spoke felt as if she were speaking to a mistress whom her child had taken a liking to more than her. "You still left him in our care, rather than being a good mother and raising him yourself."

Having been mildly accustomed to the woman's threatening tone, Winter was able to withstand the initial portion, though, she still felt herself under fire throughout the rest of it.

"I-i understand...I should've taken him with me, but it's not safe right now..." Her voice softened, Kali glanced around before leaning towards the Schnee.

"Explain."

Winter recalled the news she received from her commanding officer, of the many funerals she was asked to attend in the last month. Of the fear she held for her family's safety in the span of a month alone. "My family...we're being targeted...by the White Fang." She muttered with as much venom as her body held. Kali's eyes had widened, realizing the situation at hand. "It pains me..." Winter mumbled as he eyes drifted back to the blond. "I only get to see him when I have shore leave, the most I've held a conversation with him was over scroll. And I can't even give him my family name without the fear that he'll be on someone's hit list shortly after. And to top it all off, he has to live in the epicenter of the entirety of it." Winter glanced towards Kali with a faint smile. "I feel like a divorced father." She attempted to lighten the mood.

Kali's eyes drifted to the boy as well, the two forced a bit of laughter before aimlessly gazing towards their drinks. "That's...actually not funny."

"I know." Winter acknowledged. "But..." Her tone seemingly cheered at the moment, oddly enough, causing Kali to turn back to her. "I have a two month leave coming up, and I intend to take him with me on a trip."

"Oh? Where to?" The Belladonna asked, the tension easing ever so.

"Perhaps Vacuo, they have excellent beaches there, though he might like hiking in the Valen mountains...of course, he might also enjoy the festivals and culture of Mistral. I'll let him decide, I suppose. Do you think Blake would like to come?"

"Well, if she does, no doubt she'll want to go to Mistral." The two women shared a moment of laughter as they recalled when the young Belladonna's taste in one particular culture.

At a counter for the waiters and waitresses, Jaune fished up a few receipts and tips whilst a coworker next to him watched the two women socialize. "Lady Kali and that woman give off some really disturbing vibes." The blue-haired girl commented, her fluffed tail seemingly coiling around her left leg. "One minute Lady Kali looks like she's threatening her, then they're both moody, and now they're laughing like old friends."

"Don't pay them no mind, Haqua. They won't cause trouble, I promise." Jaune commented casually.

"Looks like you've got quite a bit of tips this time, huh? I'm jealous, you pull off that outfit better than most of the girls here." Haqua joked, receiving a small blush and smile from the blond.

"Guess so, can't say I don't enjoy it, it's pretty breezy and flexible." He admitted. The two laughed for a moment before a fellow waitress came up to them, though, the worried expression on her face was what halted their little jokes.

"Jaune, the lady at table three is asking for you." She whispered, "She's White Fang. From what I see; enlisted uniform. But some of the folk have whispered about seeing her as a part of Taurus' personal entourage". The weight of Taurus' name was well known and equally feared and respected in Menagerie. Though, those in Jaune's village knew of his open defiance towards Adam's White Fang. So, for one of the man's personal puppets to ask for him, meant one if two things; they'd try to convince him to see things their way and join, or they'd 'ask' him to cease his rhetoric. The boy nodded, and walked calmly towards the customer, all the while his fellow coworkers kept their eyes on him, spreading the word to keep an eye on the White Fang being waited on by the blond. As he approached the table, the first he took notice was the long red hair tied into a ponytail, the freckled, tanned skin, the familiar harsh glare she aimed at no one in particular...it was then that it hit him, he knew her. He sighed, tiredly, he'd hoped not to deal with her antics or teases anymore after she moved, but it seems she's back. Whether for a visit or to stay was still to be seen. As he stood in front of her table, she kept her eyes on the menu, seemingly not even noticing him. Though, something about the way she stared aimlessly at the menu bothered him.

"Hello there, welcome to Ai Laau's, how may I help you?" He asked, to which her gaze was faintly gazing at him, before fully snapping her head towards him. Her eyes widened at the sight before her; a blond boy dressed in a manner she assumed he would've outgrown. Although, she couldn't deny he pulled it off, but she'd never admit it openly. A faint smile emerged from her lips as she snickered softly to herself.

"Nice to see some things don't change. Been a while, hasn't it, blondie?"

"Ilia." He greeted. "How's life in Atlas?"

The smile she had faded almost instantly, replaced again with a sorrow-like expression. Feeling incredibly uncomfortable, and, thankfully, having finished his shift, the blond wouldn't have to deal with her. "Well, I'd be happy to take your order, however, I'm currently not on duty so if you want I can get another waitress to-"

"Then join me." She gestured to the empty seat in front of her. Her tone was demanding, not like it usually was, but rather, one of sullen. "I need...someone to talk to." She forced out that last bit rather hesitantly, though, why she'd want to talk to him was beyond the blond. Especially if she wasn't feeling well.

"I can get Blake if you want." His offer was met with a simple, yet hastened, response.

"No."

While he could easily walk away from this, something in him made the blond take the seat. The two of them never really got along, but they weren't on bad terms either. Rather, after he opened up in one instance about his home being burned, Ilia toned down her hostility, though, the two weren't exactly friends afterwards. Jaune still kept to himself, and Ilia remains friends with Blake, but the two rarely spoke to one another. It was only once in a blue moon the two would interact, and even then, their conversations were short and awkward with neither having much to say.

Drumming his fingers absentmindedly, he kept his eyes from meeting hers. But, since neither was talking, he took the initiative. "So, how've you been?"

"Shitty." She exhaled, brushing her hair with her fingers. Her attention then turned to the rest of the restaurant; she took immediate notice of some of the staff keeping an eye on her, and a few civilians as well eyeballing her mask. "So, what're you doing here? Always thought your first job would be with politics, the chief always did take a liking to you, more than he did with Blake." She muttered that last bit with disdain aimed, in no subtle way, towards the blond. His expression was, as always when talking to this girl; unchanging.

"Politics aren't my thing, and I didn't want to depend of the chief and his family's influence, I decided to make a name for myself. And for the record, Blake has her own interests, as does her father, the fact that he and I share some and we speak more doesn't mean he's more inclined to side with me than his own daughter...I can't say the same for his wife though." He mumbled that last piece whilst gesturing to his attire.

Ilia snickered at his remark, crossing her hands while easing her expression. "True, Lady Kali always had a soft spot for you. And you picked up on our language pretty well. Last time we spoke...well, you barely said anything."

Jaune smiled softly before turning his head away. "Doesn't mean I couldn't understand most of what you said."

Again, an uncomfortable silence befell on their conversation, with both parties seemingly unable to look one another directly in the eye. Awkwardly, Ilia attempted to divert the conversation unto another subject, or at least she tried. Her words hitched in her mouth as she felt something land atop her head. She heard the soft clanking sound of wood. Followed by a similar cold shiver crawling up her spine. She glanced up slowly, her eyes meeting those of silver, seemingly glass, eyes. She recoiled, nearly falling out of her chair in the process. The object fell forward, landing in front of her, she took notice of the doll's features. This one had peach toned skin, silver eyes, and a mop of raven hair with red tints near the tips. Her clothing drew attention as well, the first thing she took notice was a white cloak around the doll, accompanied with a gothic black and crimson attire. Complete with combat skirt and stockings. This was nothing like the doll she remembered in their earlier years, but, she felt the same ominous feeling. Did she generally dislike dolls, or was this one somehow connected to the other? She had hoped the latter was just an overreaction.

"Well, you've been busy. Made yourself a new toy, huh?" She asked.

Jaune held his palm out, the doll arose, dusting herself off before walking over to her owner's hand and sitting peacefully atop it. "No, same doll, I just gave her a new style."

'Her?' The Faunus girl pondered on many things, the more pressing issue was the fact that he would refer to his doll as a 'she'. Though, given he's made similar toys in the past, some for his own purpose, others as gifts, she shouldn't really be surprised he'd refer to his creations in such a way.

And yet, she took notice of the doll's brows, narrowing at the sight of her. This was nothing new, she remembered Jaune mentioning adding new features to his doll, but, she found it eerie how the toy often seemingly moved on its own accord. At times that she believed even Jaune was unaware.

Or was he?

"Well, you did more than just give it a new style. Almost like you gave it a whole new identity." Ilia commented.

"Summer."

"What?" She asked, caught off guard by his sudden interruption.

"Her name is Summer." He repeated, only with more clarification.

"You named it." Ilia facepalmed, realizing where he stood over the doll.

"Something like that." He muttered, instantly gaining the attention of the girl in front of him. His eyes were glued to his doll, as were hers apparently.

For a moment, the two remained silent, that was until the blond cleared his throat and placed Summer on his head. "So, what did Adam send you to get from me? Cooperation? Threats? Surrender?"

Ilia's eyes widened as his accusation. "No one sent me."

"I find that hard to believe." He responded, seeing her eyes narrow, Jaune spoke up first. "You've never liked me; I wasn't that stupid or naive to ignore the signs." He watched as the Faunus girl's initial attempt to interject crumbled. He continued. "So I'll ask again, what do you want?"

Ilia remained silent for far longer than she should have, though, in her defense, the blond was right to an extent. She avoided eye contact, keeping her focus on anything but the cold gaze aimed her way. Reluctantly, she glanced back to the blond, sighing before responding. "I need a job."

And just like that, it was Jaune who was relatively speechless. Although, he was able to muster up one solitary word. "What?"

Knowing she'd have to clarify, and obviously irritated by what she had to admit to next, she swallowed her pride regardless. "I was stationed here, in this town, but since I told them it was my hometown they assumed I'd have connections. I was given a bit of lien, told I would be called upon if needed...but..."

"You're a reserve." Jaune finished, getting a clear hint at what she was aiming for.

"Yea." She admitted. "Look, I know we've never gotten along, but...I really need a job. I'm not picky, I just want something to keep my afloat until I can make a name for myself."

With a small hum, and a subtle nod, Jaune turned his eyes away, only the doll's remained on Ilia. "Why come to me?" He asked.

"Blake." The single name was the cause of both great joy and growing resentment in the blond. He had tried to convince his childhood friend of the dangers of Taurus' ideology, but she wouldn't have it. She was stubborn in her convictions, and it irritated him to no degree. On the one hand, he gave Blake respect in the sense that she wouldn't give up her stance so easily, but to take a path of hatred and violence was one he couldn't walk with her. Even if she asked him, again. "Blake told me that you still lived here, and that you might be able to help me find work."

For a moment, Jaune leaned back, a finger tapping lightly against his chin. The doll's eyes broke away from Ilia and glanced downward towards the pondering blond. It only took another small moment for the blond to think on it before glancing back to the Faunus before him. "Any work?"

"Within reason." She clarified, knowing that there were jobs she wouldn't take.

One thing about Kuo Kuantan that very few outsiders knew; people and jobs were equally scarce and bountiful. Point being, there were many positions for folks to take up, problem was, few took up the menial work needed, while other positions had an overwhelming applicants. And, like the individual kingdoms, Menagerie had its own culture, its own laws, and its own views. Meaning, for someone Jaune's age to be working was relatively normal. Though, at the moment, the job market wasn't exactly all that appealing given that the town's residency had been on the rise in recent years. There wasn't much work to begin with, and hell, the current work he had at the moment was only cause of the endorsement Lady Kali gave him. Still, there was one place he could try, since she wasn't being so picky.

"I know a place." He arose from his seat. "C'mon, I'll take you."

Ilia's eyebrow raised at his question. "What about...?" She gestured behind him towards the bar, to which he noticed his mother and Lady Kali seemingly drinking their body weight. He groaned, albeit lightly, as he reached for something in his pocket. All the while, with only Ilia taking notice; the doll's expression...changed. As if, it was reacting similarly to him. The mouth remained as stoic as how she remembered, but, something about the way the doll acted always disturbed her. Regardless, Ilia did her best to avoid eye contact with the thing. As odd as that sounded, at times she would glance towards the toy and find it starting back at her. As if it were an actual person, it didn't help that her eyes were eerily designed to look realistic.

Once Jaune sighed and placed his scroll back in his pocket he turned to Ilia and tried to smile. "Taken care of...for now I hope." He mumbled. As they stood, the Faunus girl took quick notice of some of the staff shooting wary glances at her. Thinking little of them, she brushed off their hostile stares and instead stood by the entrance, waiting for the blond to return from whatever he was doing. She noticed him talking to one of the staff for a moment before rejoining her. He gestured her to follow him, to which she did, stopping only once at the feeling of a icy cold glares. She turned ever so to find herself locked unto but he glared of both the Belladonna matriarch, and some unknown sitting beside her. Without giving it a second thought, she walked out of the restaurant and joined the blond.

The two walked calmly, and quietly, around the market district. The sights and smells were all different, the time Ilia had spent away from her home showed. New shops had opened up, old ones replaced, most of it felt foreign to her. An odd thing, she returned home, and yet she felt as if she were a foreigner to her homeland. There were even folks speaking different languages as well, some she recognized as tribal dialects from some southern settlements in Vale, others were just odd sounds to her ears.

She allowed herself to be distracted for a moment before the blonde stopped in front of a wooded, two story shack by the pier.

'Driftwood' the name of the shop read. It wasn't small, but it wasn't as grand as the other shops along the docks. As soon as she peered through the glass window, the young girl's heart sunk, as did her stomach twist. There were rows of varying dolls on display, alongside a few other wooden crafts, namely statues of bears and, oddly enough, panthers. Everything looked as if produced by an expert craftsman, which didn't surprise the Faunus when she realized how the blond was quick to think of this place for her to work in. Though, one thing bothered her; Jaune would love to work here, and yet, he brought her here to help snag her a job. Before she could think on this further, Jaune quickly unlocked the front door and walked in with her not far behind. The place was well kept, though, the stairs behind the counter were a possible indication that the owner lived in the store. Perhaps Jaune knew the shopkeeper, this store was more to his liking than the restaurant. Of course, Ilia assumed.

Jaune placed the keys to the shop on the counter before turning to the Faunus girl. "Alright, couple questions; are you good with people?" He dove straight into the interview, perhaps as a way to prepare her for the owner's own interview.

"Y-yes." She half-lied, though, he didn't need to know that.

For a moment, Jaune appeared skeptical before resuming his interview. "How often will the White Fang call for you?"

"I'm still an enlisted, so not really much at all right now."

"You have a place to stay?"

Ilia shook her head, only to have a set of keys thrown at her. She caught them with just enough grip, glancing at the pair she noticed one of silver and the other copper.

"Your room is on the second floor, to the left. The copper key is your room key, and the silver if for the shop. Store opens at nine in the morning, closes at five. I finish my shift at Ai 'Lauu around one so I'll be by to help if you need it. Most of our business is pick-up orders or delivery. Oh, and in case I didn't make it clear, congratulations, you're hired." As Jaune rambled on, Ilia was, for lack of a better word, stunned. She had just been handed, tossed really, a key and told she'd be living in the two story shack. Not that it didn't look nice mind you, but the confusion of the sudden revelations left her in a near stunned state.

"Wait." She managed to muttered out, still trying to process what exactly was happening. "I'm hired?" She asked, her mind had begun wrapping around the only sound reason as to why he'd say those words, but a piece of her wasn't exactly willing to accept that possibility. He was too young, probably only barely started working, how was it he was able to own a shop, let alone have time to craft most of the things on display?

"Yea, isn't that what you wanted?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at her attitude towards getting a job.

"Well yes, but..." And for the life of her, she couldn't find a valid argument against his sudden decision to hire her. Though, in a bustling town filled with tourists and refugees, surely he wasn't short on workers. Or, perhaps he was picky over who he hired. After all, he had just given her a room in the shop.

Which in turn brought up another issue; where she was staying. She couldn't exactly say she had a place to stay in Kuo Kuana, her intention was to rent a room while she worked and possibly move up from there.

"But?"

"...nothing." She decided instead to keep to herself. Jaune wasn't one to act on impulse, that was certain. So, he might've been doing this simply for Blake. The two did grow up together, thick as could be...until she met Taurus. Even Ilia knew of the falling out Blake and Jaune had when she joined the White Fang. A little tangent of gossip her mother picked up from friends she still had in town. And while she didn't see eye to eye with the blond, Taurus wasn't exactly without a few loose screws, even to that extent she could agree with. Still, working in a doll shop wasn't her first choice, but, then again, she did say she wasn't picky.

"Alright then, go get settled in. I'll be in the back." And with that, the blond disappeared towards the back of the shed. Taking in only what just occurred a few moments later, Ilia was, for lack of a better word, confused. Yes, she wanted a job, and made it clear she wouldn't be picky over what she was given; after all, she needed to maintain herself now that she had joined the White Fang. In all honesty, given her natural abilities she assumed she would've already been given a good rank. Though, there was a system, she'd have to work her way up the ranks. As for her job, apparently, judging by what Jaune ranted in about, her job was simply to look after the shop. Sell a few of the toys, and occasionally have to deliver a few of the purchases. Toys were the majority of what the blond made, but there were other items present. Before getting the chance to head upstairs, the ringing sound of metal against metal caught her attention, particularly coming from the back. Curiosity getting the best of her, she took a quick peek out the back and saw what appeared to be a small yard with little grass, and forge at the other end of the yard. All of this was a bit much, especially for Jaune. Yes, he had connections, but even he, in the little time Ilia knew him, wouldn't so easily take handouts from Ghira. Pondering this thought further, she turned back towards the stairs, leaving Jaune alone with his thoughts.

The blond glanced only once to where his new guest had peeked at him. His eyes stayed on her spot for just a moment more before turning his eyes back to his work, only to come face to face with a floating doll. The small one he called Summer, glaring intensely at him with her silver eyes.

"What?" He asked, the doll not answering, but rather, her brows shifted and eyes averted momentarily to where Ilia once stood. Taking a hint of what she was attempting to express, the blond sighed and spoke while continuing his work. "I know, I could've gotten her a job at Ai' Lauu's, but I need help running the store here too." The doll's head tilted towards him, coming into view of his eye sight. Jaune rolled his eyes, sighing annoyingly. "I know you don't like her. This is just temporary, I'm pretty sure she's not exactly thrilled about this either. If she didn't want the job, she would've rejected it and asked to help her search elsewhere. She needs the work, and I wasn't going to turn her away." He attempted to avert her gaze, only to have her slip right back into his sights, only this time, a mere few inches from his face. The blond wasn't taken aback by her actions, but rather, the 'words' that followed.

"Can't…trust…her…" The doll struggled to speak. Beforehand, she managed one word at a time, and as Jaune grew older she was able to utter a few more words at a time.

"I know that…" Jaune responded, his irritation growing as her companion continued nudging the idea of Ilia's unwavering loyalty to the White Fang cause, as well as the blond's not to subtle response to Taurus' ideology.

"Then…why…help?"

Jaune stopped his work, turned to Summer, and with an ever so faint downtrodden, gazed right at the eyes of his creation. "Because for once…I really hope I'm wrong."

Feeling the need to argue, the doll seemed to prepare for a rebuttal. Though, a small gasp echoed in her hallowed shell as his attention was directed towards the shack. He turned slowly, expecting Ilia to be standing at the doorway with widened eyes. Instead, he found no one, or rather; he heard a faint call from inside the shop. A woman's voice, older than Ilia, but not as old as Kali, but perhaps around that of his mother's. Gesturing Summer to return to his shoulder, the doll instead lay atop his head, as she normally did, and went limp, as to appear lifeless.

The blond left his work table and walked to the shop. Upon entering, an unnerving sense of fear crawled up his spine for some unknown reason.

"Excuse me?" He heard from within the shop, just a ways peeking over the counter. Treading carefully to the front, the blond took notice of a dark skinned woman, dressed in clothing most folk used to cross the desert regions on foot. Covered almost entirely from head to toe, save for her face. There were a few distinct marks on lower neck presumably extending to other reaches of her body. Her orange eyes resembling that of a feline, though the only odd trait was the jewel on her forehead. Scarcely had there been folks who displayed similar attire to what she wore, fewer that passed through Kuo Kuana alone.

Believing Ilia to still be upstairs and settling in, the blond decided to welcome the potential customer.

"Hello, welcome to Driftwood, how may I be of service?" Jaune smiled as he approached the woman, only to be met with silence as her eyes were locked to the toy on his forehead. The design of Summer was unique, for this part of the world, but it wasn't exactly something that merited attention, and an uncomfortable five minute silence.

"I'm…" The woman began. "…looking for someone, a mister Jaune Belladonna." The blond didn't cringe, but he wasn't exactly ecstatic about being referred to as Belladonna. It wasn't that he had anything against Ghira or Kali, but he wasn't exactly one to welcome the rumors and gossips that floated around the town over his and Blake's verbal, and physical, debate over what the White Fang had become.

Unbeknownst to the woman, the dolls around her shifted, ever so slightly, with Summer, while appearing lifeless, held a blade under one of her sleeves in case this newcomer tried anything. "So I'm a Belladonna, huh? Can't say I'm thrilled, if I'm honest. Especially with what will happen next." He muttered, knowing full well she would hear him.

"And why is that?" the woman asked, her hand gliding downwards to her waist, attempting to grip a weapon she failed to find. She made no frantic movements, nor did she take her eyes off him. Rather, she waited with her guard up as to what would happen next.

The blond smiled, reaching beneath the counter and sliding over the marble table; a jagged edged dagger, still in its sheath. There was a reaction, albeit faint, from the woman from having her weapon swiped without even noticing how.

"I'm not a big fan of terrorism, believe it or not." The woman's reaction to his words was still subtle, but the anger itself could be felt from the faint growl she threw his way. "I've said it to Taurus and I'll say it to you; I'm no interested, and I'll never forge weapons for your group. So just buzz off."

The woman was silent for a moment before hardening her glare. "Do you know who I am?"

The blond shook his head, still with the faint grin plastered on his lips. "Don't care. Leave."

The woman was about to respond when she noticed the dolls around her had moved, her eyes widened as she took notice of the toys wielding weapons they'd taken from the cases around them. Atop their heads was a faint glowing blue string, seemingly leaning towards the blond store owner. It only took a moment for the woman to regain her senses before retrieving her weapon, cautiously, and leaving the store without another word.

Waiting only for a few minutes after she left, Jaune flexed his fingers about, moving the dolls back to their former positions. Truth be told; this wasn't the first time he had a White Fang confronting him. Though, he wasn't exactly so sure he made the right decision scaring her off after realizing who she was. He'd seen her before, on a few occasions when she visited Ghira at his office.

"Hey." Jaune's focus turned to Ilia walking casually down the stairs. "I heard voices, did I miss anything?" her question was answered when she noticed a dagger atop the counter.

"No." he half lied, knowing full well the woman would recognize him as well. Or rather, the showcasing of his abilities in order to defend his store. Yes, he might've gotten a bit carried away, but this faunus was not someone he wanted to fight head on. His dolls might've given him an advantage, but the woman's strength and power would keep him at bay. Still, that didn't mean he was going to sulk about revealing his powers, she now knew who he was. If she bought the threat, shed leave him alone. However, unbeknownst to him, Jaune had just made himself a new prime candidate for their organization, and given his track record, they weren't exactly going to ask nicely the next time around.


	4. Last Persuasion

Two weeks had passed. Two long, painful, and exhausting weeks. Working in the small shop, Ilia believed she'd only have to man the store and every once in a while make a delivery. As it turned out, Jaune's little shop did a whole lot more than making simple crafted dolls and furniture. The forge in the backyard was used to make armor and weapons, some of which were to be delivered. The weapons were one thing, but to haul the full armor set was something even Jaune couldn't possibly do on his own. And yet he did. Still, Ilia did the work and was always exhausted when Jaune took over for the evening. Aside from the grueling delivery service in the scorching desert heat, the job wasn't all that bad. She could handle the customers, the delivery service, and the requirement to be around a bunch of creepy real-like dolls was enough to handle. But, what came out of left field was something even she didn't predict; a mother. Or more specifically two mothers; Lady Kali, and a woman who apparently adopted the blond. The two were...almost eerily similar when it came to caring for the boy. Though, Lady Kali was more open with her feelings. The other, called by the Belladonna matriarch as Winny, was more subtle with how she expressed her emotions. Though, the uneasiness and distrust she felt over a girl staying with her son while she was elsewhere did unnerve her. A girl, mind you, who did indeed mock the boy for his interests in dolls, and berated him for not caring which types of clothing he was dressed in.

Still, his mother seemingly respected his wishes and trusted him to act accordingly...or at least that's what she said.

Regardless, Jaune handled the two in a way even Amitola found herself at a loss. She knew Lady Kali had a soft spot for the blond, but to so easily subdue the woman who could so easily glare her husband down; it both amused and bothered Ilia greatly. More so that she had to live under the same roof as Winny, only two days mind you, but it was far more than she would've liked. The woman was critical, cold, and oddly enough, still nurturing when the situation called for...or, at least she tried to be. Winny was well enough in combat, as she held lessons for her son in hand to hand combat, and it was clear that he picked up on her subtle, cold attitude towards people of disinterest. Speaking of which, to the mother at least, she fell into that particular category. Luckily for the Faunus, the woman left the day prior, so she had the shop to herself whilst Jaune worked. Though, according to him, now that he had a helping hand in the shop, he could now focus on his work in the forge.

As for Ilia, she checked in with her CO two days prior and caught up on some training at night. It still felt odd to be around the blond, and his creations didn't make it any easier. Now that he had his fun teasing her with dolls, his new hobbies included making life sizes, life-like, and absolutely terrifying puppets. He had been practicing moving a few, their movements mirrored those of rag dolls, but it was still eerie to watch these objects come alive. Though, a little bit of Ilia couldn't help but admire what the boy had been doing since she left. From the forge, to the countless books stacked in his room over aura control, she couldn't help but look back on what she'd done.

She moved to Atlas, enrolled in a school, and generally lived a normal life. At least, for the better half of her time there. Thanks to a clumsy worker, her Faunus heritage was exposed, and thus branding her a pariah amongst her classmates, and even those she considered her friends. In a brief act of fury she...let loose her hatred, and gave her 'friends' a proper lesson in combat. And now here she was, a member of the White Fang, stationed in perhaps the most peaceful and guarded town in Menagerie, with little to no funds from the organization, and working for a boy she used to bully as a kid. Summing it all up; it wasn't really all that bad.

With that said, sitting idly on a stool behind the counter in Driftwood, Ilia kept her eyes on a book she 'borrowed' from Jaune, something about a group of people called 'Reavers'. She'd heard the name a few times in her travels, but didn't think much of it. Thinking it was simply the name of some brand of raiders, she now knew that wasn't the case at all. The Reavers were more than that, and the piece that ran chills up her spine were the passages in which the tribes were rumored to have meddled with taboo arts. Though, the book spoke nothing in detailed accounts, only through rumors and hints at what their people practiced. Another interesting note was the way the book described the Reavers as a separate race from humanity and the Faunus. It was an oddity considering they looked human, but then, therein was a conversation similar to that of the Faunus and human issues in the present day. One chapter kept the young Faunus quite literally on the edge of her seat; Eradication. The detailed accounts of soldiers who witnessed and participated in the extermination of the tribes who went about causing havoc and, according to Atlas, planning a coup d'etat. Against who? No one really had a clear answer. There were no Reaver tribes in Atlas or Menagerie, but the largest concentration of their people was in Mistral. And yet, in one year, their whole clan was hunted to near extinction with only one haven left for them; a small city state created for them in Atlas's southern region. All of one people, punished for the actions of a few, and shoved into a hole they neither wanted nor needed. In some ways, they were just like the Faunus.

"Hey kid?" Snapping her out of her thoughts, Ilia's eyes shot upwards. She caught sight, firstly, of a pair of red orbs glaring down at her, and almost instantly the overwhelming stench of booze assaulting her senses. She cringed, pinching her nose at the sudden whiff of alcohol. "I'm looking for the owner of the shop, he here?" The crusty voice, along with the clear intoxicated state he was in left the young Faunus stunned, for just a mere moment.

"He's...out...sir." She managed to breathe out, taking caution not to inhale the strong smell. "But I can...help." She had to suppress the urge to cough, if only for this one customer.

The man glanced around and sighed, almost annoyingly. "Fine, I placed an order a week ago."

"Name?"

"Branwen."

Wasting no time, Ilia nearly ran to the back room, searching for any container of envelope with the name Branwen. Luckily enough, there was a medium sized box near the entrance so she didn't have to look too long, though, now she had to conserve what little fresh air she could before having to deal with the drunken man. After regaining her senses she walked out with the box, the sounds of the contents within echoing as she placed the box atop the counter. She reached in and retrieved a small note, reading it off as was written down.

"Branwen, two Grimm plushies; one Beowulf and one Pantera. A custom ceramic scythe blade, a copy of...Ninjas of Love? And a bottle from Shay's Personal Stock." She read that last item as if surprised that the blond was dealing with alcohol as well. Yet, what made her somewhat nervous was the fact that while the other items held a price with their name, the last item didn't. Was there a typo, or was this an item meant to be bargained or given for free? Though, upon reading the last item, the man smiled faintly.

"Heh, so she came through with her promise after all." He reached into his pocket and placed a sum of lien on the counter. Taking her time, Ilia counted the amount and gave the man his appropriate change. Before taking the items and leaving, the man turned to the girl and smirked. "By the way, let blondie know I'm in town for a bit, he knows where to find me. And if his mom calls around here, tell her after tonight we're squared." And with that he walked off, leaving Ilia more confused than before.

And like that, the only eventful moment in her day had just walked out. Leaving her to only ponder what this customer went on about, and return her attention to the book, managing to finish it.

Later on in the evening, after closing the shop for the evening, Ilia and Jaune sat quietly in the living room upstairs, the tv turned to some channel neither was particularly interested in, but left on for the upcoming show. She didn't bring up the customer from earlier, he took quick notice when he came back and caught whiff of the lingering scent of booze. Jaune left almost as quickly as when he arrived, possibly to meet up with whoever the man from earlier was. After an hour or so he returned, seemingly more tired and annoyed than when Lady Kali and his mother were when they were intoxicated too.

Now, he was just sitting with her, he'd placed some stew to cook earlier. And there was another thing, aside from the good pay she earned from working for the blond, the meals here were something else. Among the blond's collection of books were various cook books, seemingly every night was something new for dinner. Breakfast was simple; toast, eggs, choice of ham or bacon, and an option between milk or juice. Yet, from all that could be said, the variety of things the two could talk about, they almost always were silent save for Jaune asking her opinion on the meal. To which she did enjoy the majority of them. Some weren't as tasteful as they appeared, but Jaune didn't seem to take the criticism much to mind. At least none that he showed.

Either way, the two just did as always; sit quietly and wait for dinner to be ready.

"So..."

Then again, maybe not tonight.

"Anything else happen? Or just an old drunken crow?" Was that the man's name, or just some nickname the blond had for the drunk. Regardless, she didn't put much effort into that ponder.

"No, nothing else. But I did hear some interesting gossip from the ladies at Pekoe's." She commented, recalling her brief errand run in the shopping district. Pekoe being a small cafe, serving mostly tea, apparently.

"Oh? I didn't peg you as someone I'd find at Pekoe's, going soft on me?" He teased, for perhaps the first time since she moved in.

To which Ilia responded with a faint chuckle and mild glare. "Dream on, pretty boy." She retorted, gaining a chuckle from the blond as well. "Anyway, I heard from the gossip that some settlement south of the Atlesian capital was attacked by the Grimm."

While grim news, morbid as the pun was, that wasn't exactly headliner material. So, the blond wasn't exactly sure why this caught the Faunus' attention, the two having watched many reports of settlements falling to the Grimm recently. "Sad as that is, why's this one so special?"

"Dunno, they kept shushing each other when they talked about the people of the city, and yes I did catch the name of the city...it's kinda hard to pronounce; Svartalf." Ilia responded, unprepared for the blond's reaction. It was a mix of both shock and utter fear. Two emotions she had not seen in him for so long. To see the normally calm and collected boy in such a way unnerved her.

"I...i see..." he finally managed to utter.

"Huh?" Her curiosity peeked, particularly since the boy had knowledge over the rumors and gossip over what the women spoke of. More so that he appeared to know more than just simple gossip.

"Nothing." Jaune rose and walked towards the kitchen, checking on their dinner as he kept his attention aimed at nowhere in particular.

Running deep in the blond's mind was overwhelming fear. He heard Svartalf was a safe haven for his people. He'd heard from the many tourists passing that all Reavers were rounded up and sent to Svartalf, much like the Faunus were with Menagerie. Just the thought that there still existed a place where his people knew peace was enough for him to strive and someday go and reunite with his own. Perhaps he'd be able to find members from his own tribe, settle down, and maybe rebuild with his tribe. But now, that was no longer an option. And the weight of the news left with him with the overbearing reality; he was, quite possibly, the last of his kind. The last Reaver hiding away in a little shop in Menagerie whilst his people suffered under the weight of a Grimm horde. While death was not something he welcomed any time soon, he still wished he could've been there, with his own, fighting alongside them. At least if he was with them, he wouldn't be feeling this immense tangent of guilt and loneliness building with each passing second.

He was alone now, the last Reaver on Remnant. Pushed to extinction by the kingdoms, the final nail in the coffin was failed city state meant to be their last haven. Was this what the Faunus felt? To be hated to the point that they were doomed daily for simply out of fear? Was that the sole reason for this? It couldn't be, there had to be more. Right?

Jaune felt like an alien, a creature amongst a world of unknown. Well, that might've been an exaggeration, but he truly felt alone now. But why? Why were the Reavers so feared and hated by the humans? The many books he collected stated only accusations of his tribes meddling with taboo works, but no concrete evidence or detailed accounts of his people committing any atrocities. So then why? What was their reason? There was one reason he could think of, something even he found somewhat disturbing when he realized the nature of it. A hereditary trait all Reavers shared, a inescapable trait. But then, wouldn't it be beneficial for the kingdoms? Wouldn't his people's powers be of use to them?

Lost in his though, Jaune failed to notice a hand waving over his face until the sound of snapping fingers broke his trance. He glanced to the owner of the hands, Ilia standing beside him seemingly with a worried expression.

"You ok? I've been trying to get your attention for five minutes." She commented. The blond glanced down, noticing she had already turned the stove off, saving their dinner whilst he was lost in his own thought.

"...y-yea, sorry, I'm...I'm gonna lie down." As Jaune was heading for his room, a rather loud knocking was heard from downstairs. Startled as to who would be at the shop so late, both descended, Ilia with a small dagger in hand and Jaune with nothing. Well, not nothing, he had an arsenal downstairs, as well as a few defenses he had set up outside.

Opening the door to the shop, the blond was greeted by a familiar face from two weeks prior. He wasn't the only one to recognize the woman, Ilia went stiff as she took notice of who was standing before them.

"Good evening." The woman bowed. "Might I come in?" Her eyes were mostly on Jaune. Sensing what he'd say next, she quickly interjected. "I've come simply for a chat, nothing more." Still eyeing her cautiously, the blond stood aside and gestured her to come in. Though, he had to move Ilia one his own seeing as she was still shellshocked to see the woman. Once the woman was in, and Ilia gathered her bearings, the blond led her upstairs.

They settled in the kitchen, a kennel of water was placed over the stove. "Tea?" He offered. When the woman nodded, he glanced to Ilia. The girl took a moment before nodding as well. While the water heated, the blond turned slightly towards the woman. His glare wasn't too intense, but he didn't exactly like the idea of having the leader of a group of terrorists in his home. One fanatical employee was enough for him to handle. Though, Ilia wasn't exactly as fanatical as a pair of twins he ran into earlier that week, far from it, she played the part of foot soldier quite well; oblivious to the bigger picture of the fight, seeing only what her leaders want her to see. And when a people were blinded by hatred, it seemed easier for leaders to 'fix' the truth to their favor.

But then, there really was no reason to point out the obvious. So, the question remained, what did this woman want? His cooperation, to cease speaking out against the Fang...her dagger? Well, best get that out of the way. He reached into a counter in the kitchen, retrieved the still sheathed blade and slid it to the woman.

"Kept it safe for you." The woman eyed the dagger briefly before sliding it back.

"It was meant to be a gift, should you have joined our ranks." She replied.

"No use keeping it then, I'm not joining." Jaune replies, his attention still focused on the kettle rather than the guest.

"Yes, you've said that to me. Twice now. And you have quite a colorful way of describing us, according to Taurus." She hinted with a smirk, somewhat amused at the tangent her subordinate made her listen to about the blond.

"And you're here to...?" He wiggled his fingers; the faint sound of clanking wood drew both Faunus to high alert. Ilia was quick to brush it off, remembering that the puppets would often make those sounds from time to time...then again, with the lack of reason for a lifeless object to make any sound, her hair stood on end as she pictured the puppets the blond made coming to life. In all honesty she should've been used to it by now, but she still held on to the fear that his meddling with giving these dolls life might actually give them...well, life. A rather unfounded and exaggerate fear, but it was still something that kept her up at night.

As for the woman, she had no idea what was coming her way should she choose to act. Which, for Jaune, was his best advantage. And so, he waited, his creations lying in wait for the single itch of his fingertips.

"I'm here to personally make an offer. As I'm sure you already know Taurus is not a people person, much less a negotiator, and so I've come to you in hopes that perhaps I could persuade you to join our cause. Would you care to hear me out?" A movement of silence took over as the blond pondered, he nodded, albeit hesitantly. To which the woman smiled and clasped her hands together. "It has come to my attention that you have obvious quarrels with how I run the White Fang, but you must understand; the violence we've shown is nothing compared to the millennia of hardships our people were forced to endure due to humanity and their distrust towards us. The White Fang was our way of finally voicing the discrimination and inequality our people went through. And what did the governments do? They listened to their donors, ignored our pleas, and sent their armed military to silence us. Our actions have garnered more attention than any protest or rally ever could. My intention is not revenge on humanity, I simply seek to destroy."

"Destroy?"

"Yes, destroy the old, and begin anew. Even if we must be the ones to push the world over the edge; we'll do it. For a better world, a just world. Taurus has his vendetta, I don't agree with him, but his charisma and fighting prowess is essential to our organization. And from what I hear, you've become quite the craftsman." Jaune remained silent, caring little for her accolades. "The weapons, the armor, hell, even your skills with the people have earned you a great sum of respect. It's not secret we attempted to recruit folks from here, but instead of Ghira forcing us away, it was the people who turned us down, talking about how our cause was nothing more than a bunch of children getting fussed over isolated incidents." A rather impressive vein was starting to become visible on her forehead, almost as if she wasn't exactly happy to hear the truth of her 'cause' being spouted from the mouths of her own people. "And care to give a guess who it was that put that idea in their heads?" It wasn't a question, really.

"Quite the mystery." Jaune mumbled, earning a slight twitch from the woman's right eye. "Would you like to hear my opinion?" He offered, to which she reluctantly nodded, gesturing him to...enlighten her. "Regardless of your attempts, the humans will fear and hate the Faunus, and it'll only grow with each bomb you set off. People will finally notice you, but you'll only condemn your people further. Humans don't really look at the good of the whole, but rather, the sins of a few...that goes with anyone actually." The blond replied, now finally turning to face the woman. "Regardless, whether your species or theirs hate one another or not isn't my problem."

"You refer to humans and Faunus as if they were separate to you. Are you human?" She asked with a mild hint of venom in her tone. When the blond shook his head, the tension in the room suddenly relaxed, albeit faintly. "So a fellow Faunus then." When the blond shook his head again, the two women were now more confused than ever. Neither human or Faunus, what else was left?

"Well, this is interesting. You're full of surprises, aren't you?" she teased, her interest fully peaked. Her assumptions about him were almost on the lien, all she needed was one last trait.

"I could say the same of you..." Jaune wiggled a few fingers, the sounds of clanking wood were much louder now, the two Faunus were now on the verge of jumping off their seats as they heard what sounded like struggling, grunts, and lastly a body crashing through the nearby window. The newcomer was dressed in pure black, long ebony hair, and a familiar pair of feline ears. Though, the blond cared little for resemblance as he wiggled his fingers again, this time, a puppet followed from outside. It was made from some type of wood, that much was certain, but the facial features were so lifelike, and each movement it made, that same sound of clanking wood was heard. The puppet was dressed solely in a dark brown tunic with fur lining the collar and sleeves. It seemingly floated for a moment before its palms stretched backwards, allowing a blade to emerge from each wrist. Without much warning, the puppet then dove down and embedded its blades into the open palms of the downed unknown. From the cry of pain released, it was clear this was a girl, possibly too young.

After the sudden shock of what just occurred had past, the water started to boil as the blond turned off the kettle and began serving the tea. All of which he did calmly.

"I'm tired of having to reject your offers, I thought I made it clear I want nothing to do with your White Fang, Sienna Khan." Placing the tea on a tray, he walked, again calmly, towards the table and served the tea. "So let's make sure you actually get the memo this time." He then smiled, in such a manner that made both the two women and the currently injured Faunus shiver for a moment.

"An interesting display, you caught my escort." Sienna compliment, taking a quick glance at the puppet visibly holding the trapped assassin in place.

"So then, the other six aren't yours?" That comment indeed earned a wide-eyes reaction from the White Fang leader. To find one was one thing, but for him to detect and take down the others without so much as moving more than a few fing...and just like that, she had her answer.

She smiled, catching the blond off guard, as his smile almost instantly deteriorated. It was almost as if she had completely forgotten about her possibly dead subordinates. Although, given the reports of this boy's resistance to participate with the Fang due to their violent ways, it would be hypocritical for him to just kill off her men.

"They're not dead, by the way, just knocked out." Right on the lien, her hunch was spot on. "I've lost my patience at this point, I've told you and your men time and time again I want nothing to do with any of you. And right now, I'm in no mood for your tricks, threats, or promises of glory and grandeur." The sounds of wooden clanking echoed in the house, particularly, above them. All eyes glanced slowly upwards, meeting the half dozen lifeless eyes of puppets similar to the one holding the assassin down, crawling around the ceiling like a swarm of insects. Within seconds the puppets surrounded the woman, all of which were designed the same and yet they each took different stances. Perhaps due to having to constantly be around these things that Ilia wasn't too put off by seeing these puppets move. Although, that didn't mean she wasn't distubed to see these normally lifeless objects move so jaggedly. It made her skin crawl, more so when she looked up and saw them move about like possessed corpses. The clanking wood noise they made only added to the spine-shivering feeling. One would ask; why would she live in such a place if the owner was fond of having these things move about like ragged corpses on strings? Well, aside from the job with decent pay, rent-free room, and home cooked meals, she couldn't deny that being here made her feel safer than being the opposite end of Jaune's creations. Putting it simply, making amends with him was something she had planned out before coming home. The rest was just an added bonus.

As for Sienna, she was truly impressed, wondering how it was he was able to operate so many at once. Aside from the eerie look of these toys, she wasn't exactly frightened by such things, though; she couldn't really say she was comfortable being surrounded by them. Of course, there was also the puppet currently subduing down her subordinate. If these were anything like that particular puppet, then all she had to do was avoid the arms. Or cut them off.

"Well, this certainly puts us in quite a bind. And I had hoped we could've come to an understanding." Sienna spoke with much confidence as she moved from her side of the table. Though, her tone would shift in just a mere moment. As she kept her eyes on the blond, she let out a faint but audible hiss. She glanced down, only noticing the small brunette doll lying idly by her finger tips. A knife was beside the toy, but, it didn't appear to be in the blond's control. She managed to cut herself on the edge of the blade, presumably when she awoke; however, she was momentarily confused as to how she didn't notice it before. That is, until she recognized the doll; the same one she saw the first time she arrived.

"I don't know how many times I'm gonna need to tell you, and Taurus, and every other White Fang that knocks on my door every other week; I. Don't. Make. Deals. With. Terrorists." He flexed his fingers again, this time the doll on the table sprung into the air, gliding over and landing on Jaune's head calmly. "I should point out that puppet's blade, as well as the one my doll cut your hand with are coated with Mima dew. If the widened eyes of the pinned White Fang girl was anything to go by, the blond had played a hand that was either going to finally give him his peace, or place him on high on lists he'd probably never think twice about once he's six feet under.

"I assumed you of all people would understand." Though, it might not be the blond who'd be placed six feet under this time around. Ilia stood idly by, unsure over whom to side with. On the one hand, her boss who gave her a chance to make a life for herself and acted as good company for the better half of her stay. Or, an organization that, now that she thought on it, was mostly filled with angry folk looking for a fight, whatever the reason. And yet, the White Fang stood up for the abused faunus, Jaune didn't seem to care either way. But then, what did Sienna mean? "But I suppose I was wrong. You've lived here, in the protection of the chieftain all your life. You know only comfort, you know nothing of pain, of loss, of sufferi-"

Without warning or hesitation, a dagger flew a mere inches away from the woman's face, cutting her cheek ever so. The blade itself flew until embedding against a wall behind her. Though, it wasn't the blade that disturbed the woman, but the current aura emitting from the one who threw it. "I don't know pain?" Jaune muttered, his tone sent a massive chill up Ilia's spine, as well as unnerving the White Fang leader. The aura he emitted was growing, much too strong for either of the faunus to handle. Though, as Ilia took quick notice, beads of sweat had begun forming on the blond's forehead. "You sit on your throne and cry for justice for your people, well what about the people you kill? Where is their justice? You kill them in the name of your cause, but when a human does the same to you, you'll cry out that racism. I want no part in it. I don't want to see another massacre. I just want to be left alone." With each word his tone grew darker, the puppets themselves had glowing eye sockets, holes that should be hollow mind you. "By the way, that Mima dew isn't exactly a pleasant toxin; I'd suggest you treat it quickly." From, who knows where, the blond had retrieved a few extra daggers, aiming them at the White Fang leader. "Or would you rather I increase the dosage?" He asked with a rather unsettling smile. But it was faltering, thankfully, Sienna didn't notice, but Ilia did. Jaune was putting up a front, he wouldn't be able to hold his puppet trick up for much longer than five more minutes, at best.

"Insolent little…" As she reached for a weapon, she felt the tip of steel poking at her. Turning to the source, she was surprised to see the owner being that of a fellow faunus. And judging by her expression, she was not exactly planning on joining in on this dispute. And yet, here she stood with a weapon aimed at her leader. Whatever reason she had been thinking, it was obscure when she slowly realized what she'd done. But, it was too late to sheath her blade now.

Seeing no reason to push, having already gotten what she wanted, Sienna stood back as the puppet arose, removing it's blades from the trapped girl. She too arose, too quickly, with only but a faint glare thrown at the blond, she and her leader took their silent leave. A faint smile still plastered on Sienna's face, as if, even in retreat; she won. Once the White Fang had finally left, Jaune sighed heavily, in mere seconds his breathing had gotten heavier as he collapsed on the ground without warning. Ilia rushed to his side, panic overcame her senses as her calling his name received no responses. The puppets and dolls all collapsed not too soon after he did. When they did, the young Faunus found even more reason to panic.

"Oh great, he overdid it again." That voice and that smell that followed. Her head turned to the open window, the old man from the morning was sitting idly on the window sill chugging down a flask of some kind of alcohol. Though, what he was drinking, or the fact that he just appeared out of nowhere wasn't important at the moment, it was what he said that made her both confused and somewhat relieved. If this had happened before, then perhaps it meant he'd be fine. Right?

"I keep telling 'em; know your limit, overdo it and you're gonna get yourself killed. He knows he can't control of those things at once, but does he listen?" Branwen walked over to the two, kneeling for a moment to inspect the blond. He said nothing for a few seconds before sighing, almost as if annoyed, and took another swig from his flask. "He's passed out."

And with that confirmation, Ilia let out a sigh of relief. Though, she had little time for peace as the grown man lifted the blond up and walked to the boy's room. Clearly he'd been here before seeing as he knew where Jaune's room was...but then, why was he headed to ilia's room?

He stopped for a moment before turning back to Ilia. "By the way, where's his room?" Apparently not, and so the young Faunus led the man to the boy's room. She never went in, for obvious reasons, but those reasons didn't matter at the moment. As she entered, she found...nothing. Or rather, the room only had a simple bed, a small desk with a lamp, and a small bookcase with titles ranging mostly over Remnant's history. Lost in thought, she failed to notice a pair of feet nudging her until she heard the man grumble. "Ey kid, any day now." And like that, she moved aside, allowing him to enter and place Jaune on his bed. After which, Ilia felt a faint nudge on her back again, she turned but failed to see anyone. Odd, but then, she might've still been jumpy from the recent interaction. Thinking back on it, she was certain that she'd be getting quite a bit of flak from her CO for simply standing by and not standing up for the Fang. But then, looking back on it, she honestly felt like the blond had a point.

'What do you know of our pain, you're not even a Faunus!'

No, he wasn't. He admitted, he wasn't Fauna. But, he also wasn't human. So then, what exactly was he then?

'I don't want to see another massacre…' The way he said it, she knew of this, vaguely. When they were little, he talked of losing his home, his family. But, who killed them? The only hint she had was; humans killed us. But that was it, he never spoke of it, and she never blamed him. However, with his actions today, no doubt the White Fang wasn't going to simply look the other way anymore. And what of her? What would she do? She wanted to stand by her brethren, that much was certain, but what of him? Then again, having actually seen his family killed; wouldn't he feel compelled to take revenge as well? Why didn't he? Why was he so easy to just cast away his hatred? And then, there was the issue of him being neither human, nor faunus. If this was truly the case, then what was he?

The more she looked at him, the more she wondered what more secrets he was keeping. And the more she thought on it, the more her curiosity peeked at the idea of staying here a little longer.

"Hey kid." And then she remembered she wasn't alone. Her eyes turned to Branwen who, unsurprisingly, was chugging down some sort of alcohol. "I'm head out now, when he wakes up, tell him those six guards are alive, left them sleeping in a few nearby bushes." As he was about to walk out the door, he turned one final time. "Oh yea, and now; he owes me one. He knows what I want, tell him to think it over carefully now, but not too long. Ozpin's a patient man, but I'm not." And with that he walked out, hopefully never coming back. At least not smelling like that.

"He's...gone…"

Ilia nodded. "Thankfully…" Her eyes widened. That voice, obviously not Jaune's. But then, who? Her head cocked slowly towards the blond, stopping only when her eyes set on Summer. It stared at her. Directly at her eyes, as if it was looking at-

"What's…wrong…?...You…look…like…you've…seen…a…ghost…" And like that, both had passed out. Leaving only the doll to ponder at the girl's sudden faint of heart. "Was…it…some…thing…i…said…?"

 **And like that, a new chapter. So, I've been watching some of the scenes with Sasori and any another I could find with puppets. I gotta say, there were a lot of ideas I had, but many more I picked up. Thanks for sticking with the story so far, as for the pairing thing; I had the idea of having the pairing be with Blake, Ilia, and Jaune; a little three-way if you will. But I keep going back and forth over whether to keep it or not. It won't play a big role to the plot. Although, I would like to work on a pairing consisting of three people.**

 **Well, regardless, I'll say this now; on the case of the hereditary power the Reavers had, some of you were half right, others a little close to what I had in mind. But, if you'd like to know what exactly they are, stay tuned. Also, I plan to stay in the past just a bit longer, mostly to build more character and fun. Thanks for reading folks! Ciao!**


	5. Old Face

As the sun rose over Kuo Kuana, within the shack known to the locals as Driftwood, a young Faunus had just awoken, a mild headache from falling backwards unto wooden floors. Ilia was unsure over how she ended up sleeping on the cold hard wood, nor could she recall events that led up to it. Not all at once, it came to her in fragments; pieces. Though, once she had a recollection of the events, her mind was flooded with a great deal of emotions. The two more pressing matters were her retaliation against the literal head of the White Fang, and perhaps the more odd and frightening of all; Summer could talk. It was unclear when Ilia began referring to the doll but the name Jaune gave it, but rest assured, that issue was dwarfed in the face of the issue at hand. Was he really passed out, or was this doll truly able to speak on its own? If so, wouldn't that mean that it had conscious as well? A great many more questions began swarming in her head. Though, as she took notice of her surroundings, she found herself, not actually on the wooden floor she passed out on, but on a bed. And as her eyes drifted to the apparent soft snores beside her, she was met with the sleeping blond. She had to do a double take, to make sure what she was seeing was indeed truth; she had slept, seemingly the whole night, beside the blond. Although, what caught her undivided attention almost in an instant, was the little doll sitting on his chest, it faced the sleeping blond.

For the moment, there was no movement at all, nor was there sound. She didn't know what to say, at least nothing that wouldn't have her feeling as though she were insane for believing a doll could actually speak.

" _Did you...sleep well...?"_

...then again, what did sanity mean at this point? After all, the blond did poison the White Fang leader, as well as the little 'escort' she brought with her. Not to mention, the fact that Jaune could bring these contraptions to life.

" _Ilia?"_ The Faunus snapped out of her sudden panicked mindset, her eyes fixed on the door that was now facing her, its eyes, unmoving, staring directly at her. "Did you...sleep well...?" Her voice, it sounded like a woman. Not a girl, a full grown woman's voice. Feeling light-headed for the second time, Ilia felt as if she would faint again, but, what kept her from doing so was the calm feeling she had from the doll's stare, when on normal occasions she'd usually have a sense of dread whenever she felt Summer's eyes on her.

While she still couldn't respond vocally, Ilia nodded, cautiously. The doll didn't react to her response for a moment, instead, it stayed quiet for a few seconds before letting out an audible sigh before turning her attention back to the blond. _"Good..."_ for a second, Ilia had to do a double take, wondering if she was really having a conversation with a toy. Sighing heavily. She turned around and slammed her head against the wall. Thinking she'd been asleep the whole time. The pain, however, said otherwise. And the endless stare from the doll only negated what she already feared _. "...i have...no words..."_ it replied dryly.

And it would appear she was indeed having a conversation with a doll.

" _...You're odd..."_ A painfully clear example of pot calling the kettle black. _"...all the...same...thank you..."_ Although, the sudden show of gratitude put her off slightly.

"F-f-for?" Ilia had found her voice, if only for this one simple word. Summer kept her eyes on Jaune before turning back to Ilia.

" _For keep...ing him...alive..."_ a faint gasped escaped the doll's shell as her head turned quickly to Jaune. _"He's...waking...up..."_ Her speech had reverted to one word at a time, was this cause of the blond waking?

Very slowly, Jaune stirred, only moments later his eyes had finally opened. With a low groan, he attempted to rise up, only for a wooden hand to press against his forehead and push him back down. _"No...stay...down..."_ Summer's tone had shifted, if that could be believed.

The blond's initial response was a low grumble before attempting to rise again. "I'm fine, just needed a nap." Only for Summer to once again force him back down. For a small doll, she was pretty strong, that or Jaune was really weak.

" _Stay...down...you...over...did...it...again..."_ Her tone was almost mirroring that of a scolding mother, in a way, it somewhat unnerved Ilia to see the doll express such care towards him. Not for that fact that it cared for him, but for the simple fact that if COULD care.

"I told you, and that old crow, I can handle my-" his voice came to a grinding halt as he quickly took notice of his current employee beside him. His were wide with shock, momentarily, before a faint awkward grin appeared as his eyes drifted away. "Oh...fuck." He spat, almost instantly. Hovering in front of him was one of his biggest secrets, and beside him, in his own bed mind you, was his former bully turned employee. The same, one might add, was a part of the terrorist organization; White Fang. The same group that had members actively seeking to put him down, and with his recent stunt with their leader, would place him amongst the top priority hits for the most devout of members. And by that, he referred mostly to Taurus.

" _Language."_ Summer reprimanded him.

Why she was speaking in front of Ilia, Jaune didn't know, Summer never did so before, hell she went eerily quiet whenever Qrow was around. Did it slip? Did Ilia catch summer speaking...but then, if he was knocked out, who would she be speaking to? And perhaps more importantly; why were they in the same bed?

Through with asking himself questions he'd never get an answer to, he instead submitted to where he lay and turned to his employee. Whether or not the two were friends was debatable, to put it mildly. Yes, they still didn't see eye to eye on the subject of what the Faunus should do to reach equality, but for the most part they understood where the anger and frustration comes from. Although, their opinions parted ways in terms of how equality could be obtained. Regardless of their opinions, the fact of the matter remained, Ilia know of Summer, meaning Jaune would either have to convince her to keep quiet, or eliminate the risk of discovery. After all, he was the last Reaver in possibly all of Remnant, knowing Atlas' history with his people; he'd be an immediate target. Prepared for whatever scenario, from within the sheets, Jaune wiggled his fingers as blue strings stretched out.

Ilia could hear the faint sounds of clanking wood, her gears cranked into overtime as she could guess what was moving about downstairs.

"So..." The blond started. "You know?" That was less a question. But, to be fair to Ilia, Jaune didn't exactly hide what he was, at all. But then, very little was known of Reavers and their 'unique' abilities. Or rather, very little was share with the public. Either way, if she reported back to her superiors of him being a Reaver, then by all means her little outburst might be forgiven. But then, that was a very little 'might' as these terrorists aren't exactly the type to so easily forgive hostility, let alone treason.

As for the young Faunus, the gears clicked, not instantly, but rather in by connecting the proverbial dots together. Neither human nor Faunus, a refugee from an apparent massacre, and his arrival coincided with a certain event not too long ago. Though, with what little was shared, she couldn't exactly determine what it was about this blond or his people that made them targets. Adding to it, her eyes widened ever so when she realized the last bastion of his people was overrun with Grimm, and she delivered that painful news to him the day prior. She didn't know, and yet she felt a tangent of guilt. Ilia came to the realization; not only was Jaune an outcast to the civil world, but he was the last of his kind. Why it was that the kingdoms referred to Reavers as separate from humans and Faunus, but as it stood, the blond was the last.

"Yea..." She muttered, her eyes drifting away. "So, you're..." Ilia couldn't bring herself to say the words.

"A Reaver." He confirmed, his eyes focused on the ceiling.

The two remained quiet for what seemed like hours. Only the mild clanking twiddling wooden fingers echoed in the room. Summer found it best to let these two talk this over at their own pace. Though, it took much of her willpower not to get involved. She didn't trust Ilia, not by a long shot, but she wasn't ungrateful. After all, she did go against her leader to save him. And yet, the question remained; why?

 **-later that day-**

After a rather awkward morning of silence, Ilia went about her shift at the shop, keeping tabs on the items in stock, orders being picked up that day, and deliveries she would need to make that very week. Her boss had left for his last shift at Ai Laau's, though only doing so after explaining briefly that he'd be working from home more now that he had her on board. This meant the deliveries and work would increase, but then that also meant her pay would increase. And if the amounting items in her room were of any consideration, she was being paid well for her work, and she enjoyed the lax afternoons she had after work. But, all of that seemed to be diminishing rather quickly. No doubt after her stunt, once her CO was made aware, she'd be branded a traitor to the cause. A cause even she was beginning to have second thoughts over. And to add on to the stress, her boss apparently found it wise to poison the leader of the Fang, knock out her armed escort, and openly reject and defy their cause. Of all the stupid things one could do, calling out an extremist group in their native homeland was just begging for messy removal, especially now that they knew he wasn't a Faunus...

And therein lay another revelation; Jaune was a Reaver. From what she read, what little was recorded of their kind; Reavers weren't any different from Faunus or human in appearance, but their people were still branded as a separate race all the same. Their people were outcasted from society long ago, before the founding of the kingdoms, if that could be believed. Their kind practiced something forbidden, taboo, from then and now no city would allow them entry, no village would harbor their kind. The pariah race of Remnant, equally hated, feared, and shunned by the other two. What set them apart was the consistency of tattoos among the tribes, given to their members after they'd reached a certain age. The Valen and Vacuo tribes held more to symmetrical and often a mix of spiral and cubic markings on their bodies. But the Mistral tribes, theirs held solely to spiral markings, and often they'd brandish alongside the spirals oddly shaped markings. Though, they were mostly Vs, I, and a few more that she couldn't exactly understand. In some odd way, they almost looked like claw marks. Perhaps symbols for things only their members would know.

She couldn't answer without appearing to be speculating, and neither could the book she got the information from. Still, Jaune was silent the whole time. Summer didn't go limp when around her anymore, but that only made being near her all the more creepy. The sight of a moving doll was bad enough, but a sentient one that stayed closer to her puppeteer was nothing less than jarring.

Had she anywhere else to go, Ilia would've left as soon as she heard summer's voice. But then, where could she go that the Fang wouldn't find her? With Jaune, they somewhat feared him, if not were cautious of him. And now with him being discovered as a Reaver, and quite possibly the last one, he'd become a prime candidate for recruitment. Or a prized testing subject. Either way, his calm and peacefully life was about to hit the fan soon enough. And for the Faunus employee, she'd have to make a decision. Whether she liked it or not; she was caught up in this mess as well. If she sided with the Fang, she'd be seen forever as the runt that threatened the leader, hell, she might even be used as cannon fodder at some point.

And if she stuck with the blond, she'd be forever wandering Remnant because there was no way in hell the Fang would let her live after her treason. Not to mention the other kingdoms would eventually find out about a Reaver on the run from the White Fang, those kingdoms would either offer him a place amongst their ranks, or finish the job and wipe out the last of the Reavers from Remnant.

In either case, it would be quite the adventure, should she chose the latter. It was appealing, and perhaps she'd learn more of what Jaune's power was. Tempting it was, but not exactly one with a peaceful ending, that much she was sure of.

"Excuse me." Without even hearing the bell, ilia's eyes shot open. Her head snapped to the source of the voice, her vision caught sight a young woman, possibly late teens, tanned skin, brown hair and eyes, and a small mole just under her left eye. Her body was nearly cloaked, but she could see armor underneath. A huntress, if Ilia had to guess. But it mattered little to her so she payed it no mind.

"Hi, welcome to Driftwood, how may I help you?" Even with the occurring events, Ilia still had a job to do, and she did it the best she could. Hell, better than the blond, she would bet.

"I had an order placed with Jaune. Is he here by chance?" And that was where her eye twitched, and a small semblance of annoyance ticked in. Yes, Ilia did her job well, and yes people were more accustomed to interacting with the blond, it was his business after all. But to see all these strangers, of all the folks who come in she was by far the first to refer to him by his first name, rather than by Mr. Belladonna as would be appropriate, it irked her.

"I'm sorry, he's currently out at the moment, but I'm more than happy to be of assistance. Under what name did you file the order?" The woman seemed hesitant to deal with the young Faunus, but she didn't pay it any mind. If this woman didn't want to do business, then she could just come back when the blonde as around. Or not.

With a soft sigh, the woman responded. "Fall."

Heading to the back, Ilia easily found the order, much like she found Qrow's, as it was placed in a location where she'd easily find it. Though, the box itself was rather large. Bracing herself for what she assumed would be a heavy carry, she was surprised to find it much lighter than expected. Granted, it still had weight to it, but nonetheless she found herself easily bringing up to the counter. Taking a peek inside, she noticed an armor set matching her color scheme.

Huntress indeed.

"Alrighty then..." she retrieved the receipt and listed off the contents. "Custom made greaves, right shoulder pauldron, a single golden bracer, and a custom made corset." That last bit caught the young Faunus by surprise. "Didn't knew he could sew..." taking a closer look, she noticed an emblem for a local tailor shop nearby. "Oh, never mind." she muttered. Though, when she looked up, the woman almost seemed disappointed, as if there was something missing from the list, taking a glance back to the receipt, she noticed an item marked 'special order'. As she looked further into the crate, she noticed a familiar book, laying idly for her. With a deadpanned expression, Ilia retrieved it whilst checking off the last item from the receipt, all the while earning a major blush from the huntress once she saw the item in the clerk's hand. "And one special ordered copy of Ninja's of Love V1 and the author's prequel addition." Thankfully, there weren't other customers around, so the embarrassment wasn't as full on as it could've been. But to ease the girl's uneasiness over her purchase of a smutty novel. "Huh, that makes two folks that ordered this so far. Might just give this a read myself...when I'm older of course." Ilia clarified while placing the book back in the box and handing it to the huntress.

"It's really not all smut, it has a good plot to it." She assured the clerk, to which ilia's smile widened.

"I'm sure it is ma'am. The total is 520 lien." That was indeed pricy, but, custom made armor was always so costly, and judging by the lightweight pieces in the box, this huntress would have an agile set on her. Though, and this was something she was sure the woman wouldn't admit; the book was probably the most expensive of the items in the box.

Once being payed, before leaving the shop, the woman turned to the clerk with a faint smile. "Please say hi to Jaune for me. Or rather, tell him I'll be back tomorrow." And with that, she left with her order. Leaving Ilia to halfheartedly wave back, unaware of her fist tightening beneath the counter. Once the door closed, she sighed and slumped on a small chair nearby. The day couldn't go fast enough.

Glancing to the receipt, she took note of the woman's name; Amber. Fitting, in a way. Though, she found it odd that Jaune knew an actual huntress. As she was sorting the receipt with the other files, her brow furrowed at the sight of her name being already within the recorded files. Feeling her fingers itch inside, she retrieved the past orders. Taking into account the time lapses from her apparent visits to Driftwood, being almost once every two or three month occurrence and the orders were often small. This recent one was perhaps the largest order placed by this woman. Placing the receipts back in the folder, she closed the drawers and resumed her ever silent time as the clerk of this little shop by the pier.

And so her day remained uneventful once again. Though, after Jaune arrived, he almost complete ignored her as he walked to the forge and began working on something, just like he had been doing or the last few days. Only when he took the afternoon shift did he acknowledge her, but even then, it wasn't so much with words but with a simple nod.

Their lifestyle had changed. It was almost as if they were kids again, with Jaune saying little to nothing and ignoring her. And for some strange reason, it bothered her to angreat degree. Her efforts at reconciliation, seemingly crumbling with each passing second the two spent in each other's present. Only this time, she couldn't go to Blake for help.

As Ilia sat on the couch, watching whatever program was on, she heard a pair of footsteps approach her, her heart sped up a bit as she knew who was behind her. It was her boss. What he wanted, she could only guess. And judging by the silent treatment he'd been giving her since the morning, she assumed he was about ready to fire her now. Though, the object in his hand said otherwise.

With the awkward tension he still sat on the other end of the couch, she peeked his way and noticed in his hands what looked to be a miniature rapier. He kept inspecting it for a good few minutes before his head rose up, clearing his throat before eventually breaking the silence between them.

"Qolaas." There was another moment of silence before the blond clarified the sudden sputtered name. "That was my name...in my tribe. Jaune was a name I picked up from a traveling merchant." Ilia was at a loss for words, she didn't think the blond would be so open to tell her about his past, let alone his name. Still, to hear what his original name was, it left her with an abundance of questions. Though, she waited to see what he'd say next. "The kingdoms called my tribe 'Orleans', they named all our tribes in their language so as to easily keep track of us. Apparently our names were too long and hard for their tastes."

She stifled a faint giggle, earning a faint chuckle from the blond. Immature the humor was, but humor it was still.

"I heard it too." He assured, playfully. This eased the tension ever so, and it helped more for Ilia that the blond was showing his trust in her. More so for what he was about to do next. He handed the weapon in his hand over to her, gesturing her to take it. When she did, she found it light, easily agile, and apparently a whip. She could only imagine what customer would order this. "It's yours." Oh how she felt like this was some kind of sick joke. "I was tampering around, messing with some materials Qrow brought me...after what happened yesterday, I think you'd put it to better use than I ever could." Now, she was at a loss for words. Why he would make her a weapon was beyond her, but she was indeed grateful. "If you want, take the day off tomorrow and test it out, I'll take over for the day."

Frozen in place, the Faunus pictured a certain brown haired woman coming by to see him. It didn't even look like she just came to shop; rather, she seemed more interested in seeing him. How old exactly was she? No way was she still in her teens, a young face maybe, but she was definitely not under 20. Or, at least that's what her mind kept telling her. She could only picture what that woman would be doing the following day, seeing Jaune at the counter. Her face seemingly lighting up, waltzing up and striking an awfully long conversation with him. And with rarely any costumers, she'd have his attention all to herself. Not to mention, if a discussion over the book she bought came up...oh how the authorities would have a field day with her.

Her brows furrowed yet again, her hands gripped the weapon tightly as she imagined that woman showing her face in the shop again. As she had seemingly always done. '...thirsty bitc...'

"What?"

Ilia's eyes shot wide open as she realized she spoke those words aloud. 'Shit'

" _Language."_ Summer reprimanded sitting in the middle of the couch, helping Ilia realize she was speaking aloud again.

The tension had become ever more awkward, with the only sounds being those of the tv and the Faunus girl inspecting her weapon. The occasionally wooden clanking from Summer as she seemed to be rocking her body side-to-side to the rhythm of the music being played on the tv.

"A girl came looking for you." As with most things, Ilia was never one to beat around the bush, but rather to get straight to the point. Jaune's eyes glanced faintly towards her, his mind wandering what was so significant about this information. Though, it didn't take long for him to realize who would be arriving that day. His eyes widened for a moment before sighing, tiredly.

"Right, forgot she was coming over. She's not exactly keen on socializing, only reason she talks to me is cause our dusty old Qrow recommended me to her." Jaune commented. "Was there a problem?"

"N-no. She was quiet mostly...until I brought up the second package...the book..." this earned a chuckle from the blond, immediately recognizing the piece of literature apparently rising in popularity recently. "In a way, she tried to convince me it wasn't just smut. Couldn't fool me."

"And how exactly would you know about the smut?" And just like that, his teasing face came back.

"I read it." She admitted, having no intention on being subtle of reading a book no intended for her age group. "...partially..." The two shared a mild chuckle before their attentions were back on the tv. "Thanks, by the way." Ilia was grateful for the weapon, it would definitely be a necessity in the coming days. Although, she couldn't help but feel unnerved if she skipped out on work. Still, she couldn't deny the eagerness of trying put her new weapon. But then, it also came with an itching question. "If I can ask; why?" There was no need for explanation, he knew what she wanted to discuss, as it was something he too wanted to settle. Though, depending on how their conversation ended would determine whether he gained an ally, or just armed an enemy.

"Your little act yesterday won't be forgotten, or easily forgiven by the Fang. And seeing as how we're friends, I'm giving you the tools to stay alive. Or would you rather I make something else?" He asked, his eyes drifting to her as he finished his sentence.

For a moment, she thought on it. He'd given her a whip, not exactly a practical weapon, but then, it was better than a rustic dagger.

"No." She muttered. "I like it. And i will test it out, but not tomorrow. I got work." The boy cocked an eyebrow, while Summer's head snapped between the two. Her body rose up, seemingly glaring at the blond.

"I said you could have the day off." He remained her, to which she grinned and glanced back to the tv.

"And I choose to stay in the air conditioned shop and work. Besides, 'friend', someone's gotta help you run the shop." She responded, fiddling with her new weapon, activating something that made the whip straightened, giving it the look of a short rapier. "Especially when you can't use the other puppets right now." She mumbled, her attention was now focused on the dust chambers, which all three were filled with yellow dust, possibly electric. "By the way, how do you do that? With the puppet's. Semblance?"

Before getting a chance to respond, Jaune's scroll rang. The sudden ringtone, accompanying with it a vibrating sensation in his pants, the blond jumped a little as he retrieved the device. Once checking the Id, a small smile formed on his lips as he answered the call. The face on the line was one Ilia could swear she'd seen before, but chose not to say anything. Yet.

As the call patched through, the blond waved awkwardly before muttering. "Hey mom, how's it going?" So that was his mother? Strange, Ilia didn't remember the woman having white hair. But then, dying ones hair wasn't uncommon either.

"I'm fine, sweetie, just busy is all. My boss has me running rampant with errands, I finally managed to get a bit of peace and quiet...or at least I thought I did. Wanna know what happened?" Her tone was shifting. Both could sense it, and even Summer was effected as she floated away, hiding behind the back of the couch. As Jaune was about to answer she continued. "I get a call from a little crow that my baby boy is overdoing it...again!" Her voice rose, albeit faintly. But even so, the sheer weight of her tone carried with it authority, and it resonated in the two. Even though Ilia was not a part of this conversation, she felt as if in some way Jaune's mom was yelling at her too.

"Fucking Branwen..." Jaune mumbled, only to regret it as he flinched at the sight of the icy stare that was his mother's trademark glare. "I'm sorry...but to be fair; I wasn't really given any other choice." As if with the furrowing of her brow, Jaune explained the events that occurred, albeit with some discretion and changing of certain names. His story was met with various reactions from Winter, especially with the parts of him actually poisoning the leader of the Fang, and his newly hired assistant coming to his aid when he was just about to clock out. After no sign of Winter blowing up presented itself, Summer arose, off to the side of the scroll's screen, and settled beside Ilia. While the Faunus herself still wasn't comfortable with the sentient doll, she still thanked Oum Summer was smaller and kinda cute. Unlike the dolls Jaune used against Kahn.

As he finished his little tale, the woman appeared deep in thought for a moment before glaring at him. "And you're saying now the Fang is going to be actively aiming for you?" At this point, the blond was tempted to end the call right there and then, solely due to the fact that he'd hidden a bit more of his interactions with his mother. He knew how she'd get if he told her the Fang was constantly either attempting to recruit him, or harass him at any given point.

But for Winter, this was something she wanted to avoid. She knew Ghira's influence stretched far into the faunus communities, but the extent halted at the coast of his people's nation; Menagerie. And even then, there were some activities the heiress was sure the man had no clue of, operating right under his nose. Yet, here she stood on the other end of a call with her son, sitting in this nation where he was now a target. What stressed her out to a great degree was the idea of what these White Fang would do if they found out the boy's mother was a Schnee. Though, the woman had a plan, something she had thought of for quite some time. However, she wanted to discuss this during their trip in two weeks. But with the Fang now aiming their sights on him, her mind was made up. "Then if that's the case, you'll be moving to a little cabin I recently purchased in Patch, just a little ways away from the city of Vale." She stated, leaving little room for objection as she quickly took note of his attempt at rejecting her, to which she was quick to shut him up. "I will be staying with you for half a year, it should accommodate us both so there' not much worry there. We will discuss this further after you've taken the time to rest properly. I suggest you begin packing."  
"But-" He couldn't just up and leave, what of his shop? What of the life he had built in Menagerie. Yes, it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows, but at least he strove to make a better life for himself on his own.

"End of discussion, Jaune!" her patience had reached its limit. From the mounting paper work, the current heated issues with her father, and now her son's life being threatened and him not caring of it; she'd had enough. She'd take a movement to cool down before speaking again, only this time she was speaking to his furrowed expression. She sighed, softly. "I will not stand by and allow you to be a sitting target in their homeland. I promised to protect you, and I don't plan on skipping out on my word. Get some rest, son. It's late; we'll talk more in the morning." And with that, the call ended, leaving Jaune to toss his scroll unto the coffee table. Groaning lightly as he ran his hand through his hair. He remained quiet for a few seconds before chuckling.

"Well, so much for establishing roots." The blond had high hopes for his shop, essentially making it a family-run business. A few more ideas were thought up before, but with his head now on the White Fang's list, he couldn't exactly sit around and wait for his end. Not like this. And with Svartalf gone, whatever left of his people would need to survive through him.

For Reavers, there were a specific set of codes to live by, and while Jaune never exactly caught on to the fighting styles of his clan, he did remember three codes. The first two were more along the lines of pacifism, seeking peace and understanding, whilst encouraging the pursuit of knowledge of any kind. Taking a moment to think it over, the latter might've given insight as to why the Reavers were wiped out. But the third code was less a way of living or lesson in combat. Rather, it was a writ. One that all Reavers learned, and it was no exaggeration either. At the first, and only tribal gathering the blond had gone to, this code was recited by all members; old, young, it didn't matter.

" _Aav Ko Dinok,_

 _Krosis Ko Krongrah,_

 _Sos Alun Bo,_

 _Un Sil Unslaad."_

Ilia was frozen, her eyes widened. He had spoken in some language she could only assume was his tribal tongue. But, why so suddenly, why now? His tone of voice, demanded attention, it was almost as if he were speaking with a multitude, or chorus one could say. For a moment the faunus gathered her bearings before eventually asking.

"…that was?"

"My people's tongue, the language of the Vul Krein." He answered, his eyes focused forward, not on the tv, but rather, simply forward.

The faunus remained confused. "Ok, I don't speak your people's language though."

"I know." He responded, offering her a genuine smile, albeit the faintest she'd seen to date/ it quickly shifted to a deep glare as he gestured behind them, to the darkened corridor of their home. "But she does." With that little revelation, Ilia quickly jumped to her feet, her weapon prepped in hand. Though, Jaune payed little care as the shadows behind seemingly moved towards them. She aimed her weapon directly at the newcomer, though she almost just as quickly lowered her weapon as from the shadows emerged what she feared most; an assassin, most likely the White Fang. "You know what that means don't you? I taught it to you?" Jaune addressed the newcomer, rising from his seat and turning to face her. If looked at closely, one could catch a glimpse of sorrow and regret in their eyes upon seeing one another, but it was quickly overshadowed by the assassin drawing her blade, and the puppets coming to Jaune's side. Due to his recent battle, only two were by his side. But it didn't matter; they would be enough for this fight. After all, he wouldn't kill this assassin. How could he? They grew up together, laughed and played together. In a sense, they were practically siblings. Of course, they did play the part. Publically.

"Long time, eh Blake?" Ilia's eyes widened, realizing who was sent to dispatch the thorn in Taurus' hide. But, was this really going to happen? Was this girl truly going to kill her own brother?

Peeking through her mask were amber eyes, fixated solely on Jaune. "I'm not here for you? Her eyes then drifted to Ilia, the latter flinched, backtracking as another realization struck; she'd gone against her leader and in doing so; branded a traitor. The news got around pretty fast all things considered. The White Fang was efficient, or perhaps only this branch was. Either way, it didn't deter from the fact that the current assassin and now formally childhood friend was gripping a dagger and intent on directing it towards the chameleon faunus. Without hesitation, the blond shifted to her side, his puppets taking a defensive stance around them as well. "Jaune…" Blake never took her eyes off Ilia, but her tone had softened when speaking to her sibling. "Stand aside, my business is with the traitor, not you." the way she spoke, the lack of guilt she felt for having to go after her friend. Did Blake still see Ilia as a friend anymore?

No, she'd been radicalized, there was some sliver of common sense left in her, but it was buried beneath all the propaganda she'd been fed. And now, she was a puppet of the Fang, much like Jaune's creations. The latter of course shook his head, remaining firm by her side. Without further words, Blake sighed, and then proceeded to signal reinforcements. By which a great many had come in via the crashing through the windows. A small number of a dozen and a half hooded assassins surrounded the two shopkeepers. Blake stood by the corridor, taking one last glance before turning to depart to the first floor. "Take them both, ALIVE." She couldn't stress that enough. The White Fang slowly closed in on them, forcing Ilia and Jaune back to back.

"Soooooo…got a plan?" he asked. To which Ilia's response was a hardened glare mixed with the feelings of betrayal. Not by the Fang, but by Blake. Years of friendship, of trust and kinship, all of it thrown aside simply for the good of a cause that even she was beginning to see the fault in.

"Yea." She growled. "We take down your sister; send her back to Kahn crawling."

"Solid plan. And how do you propose we get down there?" Jaune asked as the assassins were drawing ever closer.

Ilia was silent for a moment before a sickening smile appeared. "How heavy are the puppets?"

"Each about as heavy as an iron cuirass, maybe a bit more. He answered; his puppets were now to their sides.  
"Why?"

Ilia side-glanced the blond, as did he to her. The glimmer in her eyes screamed a plan of success, but the common sense in his brain urged extreme caution. "Ever heard of 'get help'?"

 **And here marks another chapter. I know, a cliffhanger gets annoying; I've done them to death by now. But reassured, the next will have much more content, more time for our main characters to interact, and a bit more insight into the Reaver's powers and culture. Thank you all for reading, stay tuned for the next chapter. Ciao!**

 **Oh, and that phrase will be translated in the next chapter.**


	6. Exile

As Blake descended down the stairs, her steps grew heavier as she reached the bottom. She'd taken a look around her brother's shop, her eye settling on a frame on the shop counter. It brought back memories, ones of innocence and bliss. The picture was of the two on their first fishing trip together; the boy had caught mostly small fish and was relatively dry. Blake, on the other hand, was soaking wet and gleefully holding a rather large fish in hand. She was impatient, eager, and determined to catch that fish. And she did. How time had passed in the blink of an eye, and here she stood now; arresting the person she once called friend, a traitor to the cause. And her brother, unwilling to stand down, is now to be detained as well. She hated this, having to go against him like this, but the Fang couldn't allow all this in fighting. Taurus had reached a breaking point when it came to light that Kahn had been poisoned by the blond. And with her laid back attitude, along with Sienna's unwavering desire to recruit him, the core members had begun to wonder if their leader was stable enough to continue leading them. And if not, who would lead their cause?

As their leader recovered, Taurus assigned Blake to detain the traitor, her brother's intervention would be an interesting turn of events, but it wouldn't be too much of a surprise. Still, this needed to happen, Ilia was a traitor and Jaune's attempts to poison their leader had already shaken the leadership. It was unprecedented, and should Sienna have been fatally dosed; the fury of the Fang would come down on her blond. That is, if the Generals didn't kill themselves for control first.

She wouldn't kill either of them, they were family. But the cause held a great deal of importance. The order was simply a capture operation; she'd made Adam swear he wouldn't hurt either Jaune or Ilia. And she trusted his word, what would make her doubt him? After all, Amitola could atone for her mistake, and judging by the report Sienna made; Ilia's actions were spontaneous, not intentional. Jaune's actions were harder to defend. Yes, Kahn's persistence in recruiting the blond was time consuming, and aside from his little semblance allowing him to control dolls, Blake couldn't see what was to be gained by recruiting her brother. Of course, that was the initial impression, given time she soon took notice of Jaune's influence over people. Like a true politician, he'd sway the people toward his views, in doing do causing a great deal of the Fang's supporters to think twice about assisting their fellow faunus.

In all honesty, Blake couldn't understand why Jaune had chosen to leave the Fang when Sienna took over. He'd always believed in equality and peace, but even he had to understand that humanity would never take notice unless they took more drastic measures, she wished he would just come off his high horse and realize that the Faunus suffering couldn't be ignored any longer. But he wouldn't budge on his stance; he believed the Fang had become nothing more than terrorists. He always spoke as if he'd lived a long life, giving sagely wisdom as one would expect from an elder. It annoyed the young Belladonna. But all the same, she loved him; hence, once this was all said and done she'd take the blond to her parents and keep him there. Adam and the Fang's reach might've extended into much of Menagerie, but the Chief was still well above any Faunus organization. No matter what he thought or believed; she did care. But she couldn't ignore the plight of her people while she sat comfortably in this haven.

Besides, Jaune was smart, he'd know better than to fight when he was outnumbered. He wasn't a kid anymore.

"YEET!"

Then again, maybe not. Blake's eyes turned back to the staircase from where she heard the sudden, ungodly yell. Followed by the sudden rumbling and grunts of an ongoing tussle. Whatever Jaune thought he could accomplish, the two would eventually be overwhelmed.

Back upstairs, the few assassins that weren't currently under the blond and his puppets stared with widened eyes as their minds were still processing what just occurred. All the while, Ilia stood proud of her action, the blond was visibly seething with rage as he arose from the mess of unconscious assassins. All the while, the puppets as well arose with Jaune, though their faces could not express emotion, it was of no surprise that when the blades from within their forearms were unsheathed, Ilia took a stance. Although, as the puppets rushed her, a grin formed on her lips as they dashed past her and towards the assassins behind her, using their bodies rather than their weapons to repeat what Ilia had done to their master. In doing so, the puppets had managed to knock out another portion of the assassins, while also putting the others on high alert. The former White Fang jumped to the blond's side as her took a battle stance with one puppet at his side.

"You threw me?!" He hissed, a sudden stinging pain in his back forced a limp from the blond. Though, it did little to deter him. "I thought you were gonna throw the puppets!"

"I was. But then I realized they were also tied to you so I went for the more effective approach." She answered. Without warning, he pulled her to his side behind the first puppet. With confused expressions, the assassins prepared for their attack when the sudden clanking of wood directed their attention behind them. One of the puppets thrown at them had detached its head, and from its opened mouth shot out a barrage of needles. No reaction was possible as its limbs too had detached, from the forearms shot out another surge of needles, while the torso opened and unleashed a single flurry of them. Within seconds, each member had been hit, no wounds were too fatal, and none had been losing much blood. And so begged the question, why? They pondered as they removed the annoying picks from their bodies.

It wasn't until one of their own groaned, almost tiredly, before eventually collapsing that they were on high alert once more. They'd heard how the blond took down Sienna; the coward had done it by poisoning her. And judging by the same drowsiness being expressed from the remaining assassins; it was a probability they too were poisoned. A few attempted to continue with their mission and lunged at the traitor, but soon fell to whatever narcotics they'd been dosed with. Both Jaune and Ilia emerged from their hiding spot; the puppet being peppered with needles, though, allowing the two to remain unscathed.

"Impressive." Ilia commented. "And embarrassing for them." She added.

"How so?" Jaune asked, walking over to an assassin and reaching for their mask.

"White Fang assassins, outnumbered their enemy, and are taken down with a few coated needles." She quipped with a hint of pride in her tone. Though, as Jaune was known for, he'd bring her down with the revelation of who these assassins were.

Rather than share in her relish, he gestured her to his side. Upon doing so, she instantly recoiled; taking note of the rather youthful face she was staring at. But this wasn't the only one, as Jaune had reached for another three masks, each reveal only reinforced the same narrative; these were recruits, freshly picked. They weren't soldiers yet, but to be deployed meant the Fang, or perhaps only Adam, relied on a rather simplistic tactic; strength in numbers. Or they were desperate to keep order that they'd send everyone and anyone to apprehend both the traitor and the bastard that drugged their leader.

Almost as quickly as it arose, Ilia's pride came crashing down, her expression shifted to one of shame. She still supported the cause; to achieve Faunus equality. But to see these children sent out on their first mission without as much as a lick of training; it infuriated the blond. Was this what the Fang was becoming? Pondering it further would have to wait as Jaune arose, Summer hovering beside him.

"I'm gonna have a chat with my sister, stay here." He ordered. But before she could ask or even debate, Jaune had begun descending downstairs. What kept Ilia at bay for a mere moment of hesitance was the uncomfortably stoic expression on the boy's face. Rather than listen, she followed, knowing full well what would eventually occur with tensions threatening to boil over.

Blake was waiting patiently when she heard footsteps descending from the stairs. She rolled her eyes at the extended time the assassins took in apprehending the two. Though, her pupils dilated at the sight of her brother and childhood friend appearing before her, unchained and relatively unharmed. Although, Jaune was waking with a limp for some odd reason. As the blond stopped before his sibling, he wasted no time throwing the White Fang masks he took from the 'assassins' upstairs at Blake's feet. If her expression was of any indication, she certainly didn't expect to have her brother stand victorious, having defeated the small band of soldiers she was placed in charge of.

"Is this what you've all become?" His tone held enough venom to coat another set of needles. The surrounding puppets and dolls trembled, their heads turned to Blake, the available weaponry beside them already gave the Faunus an immense urge to turn tail and run. "Recruiting kids to your 'cause'? How low have you all sunk?" Oh how she hated this part. The fear and caution she felt were instantly pushed to the side as she knew all too well what would come next; Jaune's sage talks. She rolled her eyes, knowing he'd give her some moral lesson. Only, when she glanced to him, she took notice of his lacking in sagely wisdom. Instead, Jaune was seething with unbridled rage. "Well!?" His question, he wanted an answer this time.

"This is war, Jaune. And right now, we're outnumbered." She parroted, mostly what Taurus had drilled into her head.

"I wonder why that is..." he remarked.

"We're fighting for all Faunus, Jaune. Can't you see? The kingdoms don't care about us, they never have. To them we're nothing more than slave labor or target practice. Over a millennia of recorded history and not one kingdom can see past race, choosing instead to submit to the power of any who'll give them a slip of lien." She'd given him this argument before, and like before he'd counter with…

"Who are you to speak of the hardships of folks from nations you've never set foot on once?! You take isolated incidents, exaggerate the story, and use it to fuel your flock? How are you any different from the kingdoms!?" Though, this counter was new. Blake's fang's bared whilst her hands gripped her weapon. Clearly, she didn't take that little bit all too well. "Was it so hard to just leave me alone?" he muttered. The fatigue in having to constantly send these White Fang off his property was beginning to weigh on him.

"You couldn't keep your mouth shut! Every time we tried to recruit here, the people always quoted YOU. They called the cause a 'temper tantrum'! Even the neighboring towns started having second thoughts too! And now, with Sienna still reeling from your poison, no one will take us seriously. If the in-fighting doesn't break us, the lack of trust in members will, thanks to traitors." Her eyes focused on the chameleon.

The room was silent, for just a mere moment before Jaune turned to Ilia. "We did all that?" He asked, genuinely surprised. "Cause if we did, then the cause wasn't exactly that strong to begin with." Without warning, Blake had lunged at him, stopping only when her blade was pressed firmly against his neck.

"Why can't you understand? You of all people should know what it's like; to have your people hated and feared, thrown into a patch of dirt so the other kingdoms can avoid having to deal with your own scattered." And here was where Jaune drew line.

A doll from a nearby shelf arose and lunged at the Faunus, only to be cut in half. Though, the small distraction was all Jaune needed to shift backwards, tossing a few needles towards Blake. She dodged to the left, but was still hit by a few. Knowing Jaune, the needles were laced with some form of toxin. Nothing too potent, he would never kill anyone…that she knew of. Even so, he was that careful, aiming only to maim, never to intentionally kill.

And the poisons he used were always effective, and alarmingly fast. As her vision grew groggy, she glared at her brother who, when most times he'd smirk triumphantly, looked down on her with disappointment, and it annoyed her. If anyone should be angry with the humans, it was him. It should've been. They took everything from him; his home, his family, his people. Why didn't he want to fight? It confused her; it angered her that he was so calm and relaxed when it came to the truth of how the kingdoms felt towards his people. Did he not care? Or did he simply just give up on trying to change the world?

"Why..." She mumbled, trying to stay awake as the effects had begun to take full charge. "Why aren't you mad? The humans caused you so much pain...they killed off your race...they hurt you..." her conscious was drifting, her eyes in a losing struggle to keep her eyes open.

Jaune kneeled over her body; his hand grabbed her chin, lifting it so as to look directly in her eyes. "What would be the point?" He whispered. But by then, she had passed out. Gently, Jaune laid her head down as he arose. His head turned halfway towards Ilia. "But, if I'm truly honest, I'd love nothing more than teach the humans how I felt watching my people be slaughtered. To make them feel the pain I felt watching my sisters die right in front of me. My friends begging for their lives, the elders pleading for the children's lives…watching the life fade from my father's eyes…seeing my baby sister die in the hands of the Atlesian Colonel…I can't tell you how many times I've woken up from reliving these memories." Jaune turned fully to Ilia, his eyes focused on hers. "And every day…I wonder what it would be like to go with Tauru's idea; make the humans pay."

"Why don't you?" Ilia whispered, curious as to why he didn't join the Fang considering the resentment he felt towards humanity.

"..." Jaune was silent, glancing over to Blake once more before leaning over to pick up her unconscious body. Once he held her firmly in his arms, he stole a few more glances at his sibling before Ilia came to his side.

He remained silent on the subject; Ilia chose to drop the matter, but not fully. As the two walked outside, Ilia was taken aback when she saw the unconscious White Fang recruits from upstairs apparently moved outside. Three puppets were standing idly over the unconscious bodies; one was setting the last recruit down. While Jaune and Blake had their talk, the blond had his puppets moving the bodies out of the house. His control on these things was unbelievably flexed, she knew he couldn't control a dozen at a time, but then what person could? And his control over the, extended quite a bit. Of course, how exactly could he accurately control their action while being downstairs?

"It's...done..." and there was Ilia's source of theories and unending questions; Summer. The doll that had accompanied Jaune his whole life, almost like a piece of him. An unsettling fact was that it was sentient. And like his puppets, she was connected to the blond via the blue string. It could be possible that Summer had organized the puppets to move the bodies, but then, to move the things herself would mean...the doll was the puppeteer. Oh how the very image of it sent shivers up the Faunus's spine.

"Good, makes the next bit all the more…" Juane was cut off when he took notice of a rather sizable mass of Kuo Kuana's denizens approaching his shop. It wasn't the rather hostile expressions or the collection of weaponry the folks brought with them that unnerved the blond, and it wasn't the fact that Taurus was leading them either. It was the fact that the folks approaching; he knew a majority of them. As the mob grew closer, the puppets were brought back to his side, Summer taking her place on his right shoulder as the small mob stopped a few feet away, with only Taurus stepping forward over the bodies of the recruits he sent after him.

The blond followed suit, carefully walking forward without stepping on any of the unconscious Fang members lying before him. The two stopped at a respectful distance, within arm's reach, but far enough to see and evade any attack.

"End of the line, blondie." Adam muttered, his tone kept a respectful tone, surprisingly. All the while his hand remained firm on the hilt of his blade. "Time to come clean."

Jaune showed no visible reaction, though inside, a storm of anxiety had been brewing. It would seem that Taurus had caught wind of what Jaune was. And with that little bit of info, he chose to use the townsfolk to his advantage. Regardless of circumstance the blond wouldn't lay a finger on anyone, the red-head held no such connections. But it was clear enough who the folks of Kuo Kuana came for, it was painfully obvious. Although, the scene was playing out similarly to an old horror flick, and by that analogy, Jaune was the monster. And if the consistency followed through, no doubt they've come with one goal in mind.

An elder from the Menagerie council stood forward, stopping only at a distance behind Taurus. "Jaune Belladonna, it has come to light that you've been hiding a rather important detail about yourself from the good folks of this town, have you not?"

A visible annoyance took over the blond's expression. "Councilman Ryner. Are we seriously doing this?" he asked, to which the reaction from the elder was a furrowed brow and the slamming of his cane against the ground.

"Answer the question, boy."

Realizing what was playing out, the blond relaxed himself as he responded. "Yes." Glancing to the crowds, he noticed some of his former coworkers amongst the mob. They didn't bare weapons, but they weren't exactly showing visible signs of concern for him. If the blond had to guess from their expressions of what they might be feeling, his guess would be disdain. They felt disdain at the mere sight of him.

"You are not Faunus, are you?" the elder asked.

In reality, Jaune didn't need to answer any of these questions, hell; he could've easily just sent for Ghira and be done with it. The chieftain would disperse the townsfolk, and Taurus sent away. "No." But not this time. Instead he chose to face Taurus head on, and the crowd had been fed the truth, for once, from the Fang. Yes he grew amongst these people and most of them he was on good terms with. But fear would always dominate. Like the humans, the Faunus too despised the Reavers, similarly for a taboo very few, if any, remember specifically why.

"But…you are also not human, correct?" and again, Jaune nodded, by now a collection of murmurs had begun circulating amongst the crowd.

"Then why not tell the good people what you are. Tell them who Jaune Belladonna really is." Taurus gestured to the people, as if to further taunt the already disgraced blond.

It took all the strength the blond had not to lash out at the arrogant Fang. "A Reaver." He announced, nothing too loud or grand, but enough to get his point across. The reactions from the crowds were as expected; shock, horror, disdain, hatred. He knew he'd see these reactions to his heritage, but never from the people he grew up around, from the old fishermen, to the baker, and even his former coworker Haqua looking upon him with fear and suspicion. It was a rather sudden shift; did they really know what it was his people were guilty of? Or were these simply folks that were easily swayed?

The elder stood forward, his narrowed eyes focused on the blond boy. "Seven years ago, your people were marked for death…"

"Yes, I was made very aware of that." Jaune responded, caring little at this point for whatever this elder had to say.

"You were but a cub when you arrived here. Do you wish to know why your people were sentenced?" And just like that, Jaune's interest was caught. Although, he highly doubted even the old man would know. Still, didn't hurt to ask.

"Why?"

The old man took a moment, as if to build up what he was to announce. An exaggeration to be sure, but one with a resulting reaction that favored both himself and the Fang. "Necromancy."

There were a few murmurs from the mob, a couple expressions had shifted to anger, others to fear. Adam seemed to relish in this turn of events. Before tonight, the people would've instantly sided with Jaune, but now, they finally realized who the real enemy was. Although, if only briefly, he was surprised to hear that the boy's people were killed off due to a single practice.

Of course, what he didn't expect, what no one expected, was for the blond to chuckle softly. It started off low, growing louder with each passing second until he erupted into a full blown fit of laughter. The purpose of his joy was unknown although; no one could deny the unsettling feeling from listening to him laugh like a maniac.

Taurus' grip tightened around the hilt of his weapon, as did most of the Fang he brought with him. The majority of the townsfolk were wavering; the reaction they expected from the boy was mostly denial, or shame. But instead, he appeared to be taking this as nothing more than a mere joke.

It took only a moment for his fit to calm, in which Ilia was growing increasingly worried when she noticed his head cock to the side. She'd never seen this side of him before, especially the negative aura she felt surrounding him, something she similarly felt around…

"Is that it?" The blond's question caught both the elder and Adam off guard, though, the latter did well to hide his reaction. A collective of clanking wood echoed in the ears of the faunus present, an equal mixture of confusion and caution was felt by the populace present. "Damn, and here I thought you knew…" he raised both palms, his arms stretched out, blue strings stretched out. The clanking wood got louder as another three puppets crashed through the shop's window and door. With those already present, the blond now had six puppets at hand. However, none appeared to be in a position to attack as they merely hovered around the bodies of the Fang assassins. Each puppet reached down and removed the masks, revealing the identities of the soldiers sent to kill him. "You're close old man, I'll give you that. I have a lot of fond memories of this town so I'll only ask once; there any chance this can end peacefully?" he knew what the answer would be, and he knew their reasons.

The crowd looked, cautious, more so then before. Adam did as well, particularly over what this old man would say. This little mob was just for show, if they wanted him dead Adam would've been more than enough. But these folks, they were here to drive a message forward.

"Menagerie is a haven for Faunus, for years our people have built it to be a home for our kind. A home meant only for the Faunus. Outsiders are not welcomed; least of all you damned Reavers." The old man had slammed his cane down to further demonstrate his aggression. "Your ilk has no place here. The fact that our chieftain had brought you to our land only endangers the faunus. If the kingdoms were to ever discover Menagerie harbored filth like you, our home would soon face occupation by Atlas and its bastard General; Ironwood. And that is a risk I will not allow."

And once more, for another elongated second, the blond remained silent. Ilia was, to a great degree, livid. She'd heard this kind of speech before, the way the elder referred to the Reavers and, essentially, Jaune; as filth. It was the same rhetoric the humans used. And judging by a large portion of the crowd nodding along with the old man's rantings, the hatred towards the Reavers was indeed still alive and well amongst the townsfolk. And yet, the reason behind it still eluded the chameleon. Was it truly necromancy that made the Reavers enemies of everyone? Was that even possible? Everything described in the books alluded to a taboo practice, but nothing conclusive.

"I see…very well." Without warning the head of the six dolls detached, from their open jaws were shot a 3-round burst of needles towards the armed Fang soldiers. Adam managed to deflect the needles thrown his way, but just barely, as he did in fact feel one hit him in his shoulder. Knowing full well how this blond fought; the needles were coated in some kind of poison, giving him a few minutes before his body either succumbed to it, or felt the overwhelming effect, impairing his fighting prowess. If there was one thing Adam could admit, it was the blond's use of herbs to mesh with his style of combat made him a formidable foe. But his style was reliant on the element of surprise, which only worked once. Or so he assumed.

Drawing his blade, he lunged forward, believing he'd only need one clear shot. As his blade was raised and lowered for the desired effect, the White Fang leader had come face to face with the very traitor they'd been sent out to capture in the first place. She had drawn a rapier and stood with the blond Reaver. She chooses to turn her back on her brothers and instead defend a creature sentenced for extinction. Thinking on that note alone, he couldn't help but feel slight pity Jaune, but that did little to dissuade his resolve; Ilia was a traitor and Jaune an enemy to the Fang. They would both be put down here, an example for those with similar intentions.

But before he could knock the traitor aside and strike his initial target, Taurus felt stinging in his back. He turned his head to faintly catch a small doll at the corner of his eye with a knife embedded in his back. It took little effort for him to knock Ilia's weapon out of her hand, even less to bring his blade down on her. His aim was simply to incapacitate her, make it so she couldn't be a nuisance until her 'trial'. At least that was what he expected. What no one saw coming was the trail of blood coating the ground was not of the treasonous faunus, but that of the shopkeeper. He'd, with seemingly lightning speed, placed himself in front of his employer. The attack, however, had done away with his left forearm.

It was an unforeseen turn of events; the only warning was the sudden clanking of wood. That little detail, upon regaining herself from the shock, made Ilia take a double take at the blond. What made her analysis brief was a rancid stench, causing her nose to twitch and her expression to furrow. She backed away, as the supposed injured shopkeeper's staggering body began expelling a red mist. The putrid smell began affecting the faunus as the small mob began to disperse, some of the Fang still able to stand were in coughing fits as they refused to stray from their leader's side, but in turn remained in the heart of the miasma.

The blond staggered more, the clanking of wood echoed in the now fairly empty street. After getting a better view of him, Taurus backtracked, his sword being held in one hand whilst his free hand covered his nostrils.

He could hear fairly well, given the effects the toxins were beginning to display on him, but the thickened mist denied visibility. As for the figure standing before him, the Fang leader was caught off guard by how easily he had mistaken one of the blond's puppets for the shopkeeper himself. Granted, this particular puppet was designed to look like him, so it begged the question, where was the original?

Before being able to search for the blond, the puppet version of him clanked loudly before unsheathing a hidden blade in its wrist and lunging at the faunus. With a swift move he cut the puppet in half, though, rather than fall, they hovered behind the Fang. It lunged again at him, this time using its weight to throw him off balance, and earn a few unexpected needles shot at his shoulders from the mist. These were slightly thicker, the intent being possibly to be just as painful as the coated poison.

For Taurus, this was nothing short of an embarrassment. He had underestimated the Reaver, thinking the blond's pacifist façade would equal an easier capture, but this proved otherwise. The effects of the coated weapons had started to take hold, as he felt the world growing ever hazy. Within the mist, he noticed a silhouette shifting about. Assuming it to be his target he aimed his weapon, and fired.

He knew the blade hit its intended target, he heard the blade hit. What he didn't know was if it was Jaune or not. And he'd probably never find out as the world had gone dark. His body lay beside a dozen or so more unconscious members.

Meanwhile, rising up with cloth covering his mouth was the blond shopkeeper. The blade was embedded in his right shoulder, apparently his attempt to sneak behind Taurus failed. Still, the toxins had done their job. As did the odor bomb his replicate puppet dispersed. The lifelike puppet was intended to release a gas similar to a stink bomb; the gas itself was harmless, but the smell was unbearable. Thankfully, the mob had dispersed and the Fang was incapacitated. Though, that left the blond and his employee with a time limit. The toxin he used to put these Fang to sleep would wear within the hour, and with his reputation now in shambles, he had no choice; he needed to disappear.

As the mist cleared, it was revealed that Ilia was standing beside Jaune, watching the whole ordeal unfold. Though, she quickly jumped into action when the noticed Adam's blade currently embedded in the Reaver's shoulder. He staggered, nearly falling over when he attempted to take a step forward.

"Damn, got a little careless…" he mumbled. "…again."

 **-Nearly an hour later-**

Faintly, light had begun to shine through once again for the initial party sent to retrieve the traitor and shopkeeper. Though, as the group awoke from their slumber, the instantly took notice of two things; one was the collection of their fellow unconscious fang littering the street directly in front of the blond shopkeeper's store. And therein came the second item they took notice of. In a surprising twist, the shop they were sent to was currently ablaze. Their confusion only grew as they began wondering why it was they were suddenly outside. Still, they were also grateful to have been outside; as they watched the flames consume every corner of the store.

Although, as they quickly took notice that their leader had apparently awoken as well, for a while actually. When she awoke, she quickly took notice of her surroundings, as well as the burning shop before her. But, what her eyes were locked on wasn't the burning building or the various still unconscious White Fang around her, but rather, it was the still burning body inside, already burnt to the bone, leaning against the counter with a katana embedded in its right shoulder. The shimmering dust lingering beside the blood stains indicated the activation of pyro dust rounds. The damned things burned faster, and were more effective. In this case, the fire had enveloped everything, destroyed the shop and all the while, it wasn't the fire that was engraved in her mind, but the image of seeing the burned corpse. When the fire settled, there wouldn't be much to examine, the body was already burned beyond recognition.

Even when the brigades came around to quell the flames, to keep them from spreading, all she could do was watch. Her body felt limp as her mind could only assume what any would in this scenario; her brother was dead. The memories she had of them, the time they spent causing mischief together, the times they argued over what was right and wrong, the sound of his voice; it all went up in flames. She would never see him again, hear his voice, and escape to his shop just to have tea and a civil talk. Never again.

That realization hit her hard, if the streams of tears or sorrow-filled wail were of any indication.

 **-Meanwhile-**

Aboard a vessel, a fair distance from Kuo Kuana's shores, a hooded Faunus turned her head back to the mainland, her ears perked at hearing what she could only assume was her childhood friend awaking from her sleep to find her sibling's body burning in his own shop with her 'crush's' sword embedded in his burning corpse.

Her head cocked to the side, eyes straying away from the pummel of smoke emanating from the docks. "This is wrong…" She whispered.

"She made her choice." Her eyes drifted to the hooded figure to her left. Small hints of blond locks escaped the tip of his hood. His arms were crossed as he kept his attention ahead of them. "The cause was more important to her than family…besides…" From within his sleeves he retrieved a few vials of purple and red liquids. "I don't have enough poisons for another encounter. And they would've been prepared the next time around." After placing the vials back in his sleeve, he gently massaged his right shoulder.

"Shouldn't you get that checked? There should be a doctor on board." Ilia commented, gesturing to where she believed the medbay would be.

"Yea. Just give me a minute." He responded, waiting for a small gathering of folks to retreat inside. All the while he took a moment to gaze over Summer. Her design wasn't an out-of-nowhere inspiration. For the longest time, he remembered these features. He remembered seeing them, and he remembered who it was they belonged to. He even remembered the last time he ever saw her, late fall. Shortly after, his father gave him the doll. Told him to always keep it close, that it carried a bit of her with it. He closed his eyes, thinking back to the very last time he ever saw her. She was not of the Vul Krein, an outsider for a mother, a half-breed he was. He was taunted for it, shunned in most tribal gatherings simply for not being a full blooded Reaver.

There was a time, only once, she promised to take him with her, to go on an adventure. But, the promise was made and spoken of only once. And shortly thereafter, she was gone. He never understood why his father cared enough to give him something to remember her by, but he didn't care. His sisters certainly didn't care, nor did their mothers.

He didn't remember her name, nor did he have a clear image of what she looked like. It was all fuzzy at this point. All he remembered was one word he associated with her.

' _Mama'_

 **And there it is, I was hoping to have this chapter up last week, but things happened. I lost a lot of my vigor for writing these last two months, mostly due to personal reasons. However, I am regaining a foothold on my emotions, faintly. Just wanted to give you all a heads up in case the chapters stagnate in their update.**

 **As I said, here's the phrase Jaune spoke in the last chapter;**

 _ **Aav Ko Dinok,**_

 _ **-Unity in Death,**_

 _ **Krosis Ko Krongrah,**_

 _ **-Sorrow in Victory,**_

 _ **Sos Alun Bo,**_

 _ **-Blood ever Flowing,**_

 _ **Un Sil Unslaad**_

 _ **-Our Souls Everlasting**_

 **Please keep in mind, these have a meaning to something in the story, but that's for much later on. Thank you all for reading. Until next time.**

 **Oh, and for those who caught on to the last bit; yes I went there, and I plan to dive more into that and more flashbacks in future chapters. Ciao~**


	7. New Companions

Within the heart of the surrounding forests of Mistral, a young blond child sits upon an open meadow, within his hands is a small circlet, woven together through fiber and assorted flowers. Sitting across from him was a brunette with red linings, peach-like skin, and silver eyes. While the boy was dressed in a one-pieced olive green tunic, a leather strap tied around his waist, leather sandals with straps halfway reaching his knees. The woman was more gothic in her attire with only her white cape to contrast the red and black color scheme.

Although the two were surrounded by a tranquil environment, the woman was visibly downtrodden. As the two were both working on their own circlets, the boy's was almost finished, whilst hers still lacked the flowers themselves.

"Mama..." the woman's head perked, glancing to the ocean orbs she both loved, and hated. She loved them, because they belonged to him; her baby boy. But, they also belonged to his father. She had hoped he would inherit something from her, and yet when she looked at him, she could only see a younger version of the man.

All the same, that didn't mean she loved him any less. At least, that's what the boy hoped. Even at his age, he knew from people's glances, how they first perceived him, his tribesmen looked to him similarly on an almost daily basis. When she frowned, he tensed, wondering what he had done to cause such a reaction from her. It was always when she looked at him, that he noticed a change in her demeanor. "Are you ok?" He asked her, meekly.

She stared at him for a moment before faintly smiling and nodding. "Yea, just thinking, sweetie."

And he left it at that, the blond chose to avoid questioning her, instead focusing on finishing his circlet. Although, as with any child, his curiosity pushed him to ask. "Whatcha thinkin about?" The woman stopped weaving her circlet, her eyes fixed on the unfinished object.

Her smile faded for a moment before reappearing once more. "Nothing, just some adult things. Don't fret over it, Qolaas." And with that, again, the boy left it alone. As did the woman in front of him. There was something bothering her, something on her mind that she obviously showed. But growing up with seven sisters...half-sisters, the blond knew enough that when someone wanted to share, they'd do so at their pace.

Though, as she was his mother, he felt the need to ask her something he could never ask the others, as he had an idea over how they felt. "Do you hate me?"

Her head had never turned so rapidly, her eyes filled with...what? Anger? Confusion? Guilt? Anything could've been possible; Jaune knew this all too well.

"What makes you ask that?" She asked, her palms gripping the vines rather tightly. She had an idea as to why he asked that question.

"Just askin." Jaune answered, almost too quickly, as he diverted his attention back to his now decorated circlet.

This wouldn't be left as it was, the woman would make sure to it. She placed her circlet down and scooted closer to the boy, causing him to stiffen when he noticed her closer than before. Her silver eyes were fixed on him, unwilling to allow their previous conversation to simply be ignored. "Qolaas." Her voice was stern, a surprise to the young blond, since he mostly ever saw her with a gleeful grin. "Why would you ask that?"

Jaune's grip on the circlet tightened, his head lowered, eyes glued to the small object in his hands. In an oh so quiet tone, he whispered. "I'm a half-breed." His eyes refused to meets hers, and accompanying the tone of his voice, she could only assume he was ashamed of being what he was. All of this was due to the upbringing of his tribesmen; she saw how they looked at the blonde. She could only imagine how they treated him, the cruel words they spoke of him. She would've taken the boy with her if not for the multitude of skilled Reavers that would be after her for abducting one of their own. Of the many things that confused the silver-eyed woman of these people; while they could openly detest one of their own for being different, the differences are ignored in times of emergency. "Big sis says I'm a freak 'cause I'm different."

And without warning, the young lad found himself in a rather suffocating embrace by the silver eyed woman, though; she seemingly eased her grip after a few seconds. "I could never hate you." She whispered, brushing his hair softly whilst planting a small kiss atop his head. "I love you too much."

This moment of affection, the way she held him, smothering him with love and kindness, it was hard for the boy not to smile or allow himself to be return the embrace of his mother.

She felt his grip falter after a bit, his head nuzzled against her chest as he asked a question that damn near broke her heart. "Why am I a freak?" She gripped him tighter; she could only imagine who it was that ostracized him.

"You're not a freak, Qolaas."

"But I'm different." He added, earning a faint sigh from his mother.

"Yes, you are...but that's not a bad thing." She held him closer, her head nuzzled against his, softly. "People will always find something to dislike about each other, anything different scares them, and there is always fear in the unknown." She raised her head; her eyes watched the drifting clouds. "But you know; I truly believe that someday people will finally grow tired of being afraid, that they'll finally embrace the idea of embracing the unknown with acceptance rather than defiance. I believe there will be a moment in history where the people will finally come together, and in unison they will all say; enough. It won't happen in my lifetime, I'm not that optimistic. But..." her hesitation caused the young blond to glance upwards, seeing the stoic expression of his mother did not unnerve him, but rather, it made him curious as to what occupied her thoughts. "Qolaas, can you promise me something?" Her eyes remained on the clouds, but she knew he was paying close attention to her as he mumbled a yes, anxious as to what commitment his mother would have him dedicated to. "Promise me...no matter what, promise me-"

The blond's eye's shot open as he jumped up, groaning in pain as he felt the stinging ache of his still injured shoulder. Even after allowing a doctor to treat it, the rest of the healing process relied on the blond taking it easy. However, as it showed, he was less than cautious with his awakening. Taking a quick look at his surroundings, he realized he was sleeping on a small bed, near the corner of the room he rented; opposite of him was Ilia, still fully asleep beside him. Due to leaving in such a hurry, this single bed room was all he and his companion could acquire. And due to his injury, she wasn't exactly keen on allowing him to sleep on a makeshift cot, much less the floor. And Jaune wasn't going to let her chose those options either. As such, the single puppet Jaune had taken from his shop was placed between them. Though, as the blond noticed, it appeared as if Ilia had moved the lifeless wood, placing it on the floor beside the bed.

" _She…moved…it."_ Jaune glanced towards his most treasured gift; Summer. The doll landed softly atop his head, her eyes focused on the sleeping faunus. _"I…would…too…"_ She remarked, earning a faint chuckle from the blond. As he sat up, the blond gently massaged the injury Taurus had given him. He'd have trouble moving that particular limb for a while, but he'd adjust, given time.

Although, his mind was more focused on his dream, remembering his mother's last words to him…he brought his knees up to his chest. The memory of her, it had become hazy after the Eradication, moving to Menagerie, starting a new life; he'd almost forgotten the sound of her voice. However, it wasn't until Winter came to him with the premise of adopting him that Summer became more 'active', per se. She moved around before, sometimes without him directly moving her. But, it wasn't until the Schnee became more active in his life that the doll similarly partook in. It was only once she began to speak that Jaune came to a stunning revelation of his people's practices. The old councilman was close in his assumption, but it was a bit more complicated than that. At least, that's how Jaune saw it.

Still, he couldn't deny how happy he felt remembering that moment, her words clear as day. And yet, it was also a bittersweet feeling.

" _Are…you…ok…?"_ Summer floated directly in front of him, her body hunched over as her glass silver eyes were staring directly at him.

"Yea…" His left palm rose up, allowing Summer to sit atop it. "I'm fine."

" _You…know…I'm…here…for…you…right…?"_ Thanks to his little upgrades, the added facial features allowed for the doll to show more emotion, much to the dismay of his companion as the doll appeared more alive now.

Jaune smiled, bringing his doll closer and pressing his forehead gently against hers. "I know. Thank you, mom." Summer closed her eyes while also placing her right palm against his cheek. It didn't take long after the adoption for the doll to make herself known, especially with who she was and her apparent disproval of the proceedings that were occurring in the blond's life.

Without warning, a loud horn blasted throughout the ship, awakening any aboard still asleep and signaling the arrival at their current destination.

The streets of Vale are an interesting adventure to say the least. One minute you could be in a lovely district, clean and proper with the common greeting from a simple passerby. And the next, you'd be pinned against a wall in an alley, shaken down to the very last Lien. Of course, to those who had a semblance, particularly, ones that made their little crime sprees easier, Vale's urban districts were indeed a hot spot for such folk. Even those without semblance had proven themselves a danger. Of course, most folk tended to stay hidden, keeping themselves from standing out too much. This of course was not what two recent refugees had in mind, as both Jaune and Ilia walked the urban district streets in black cloaks, with golden linings, with the collar covering the lower half of their face. Though, in addition to their incognito status, they also wore straw Kasa, covering a great portion of their upper face. Thus, their identities remained hidden, though; this left the two wanderers with a couple of confused folk staring at them, bewildered by their odd attire. Not to say there haven't been weirder dressed foreigners, but these two resembled those known to Minstrel and Menagerie as Ronin.

"Remind me again why we're dressed like this?" Ilia asked, not solely out of irritation at the glances seemingly following them as they walked, but also for genuine confusion for their chosen attire.

"We can't exactly show our faces at the moment, we're wanted, remember? You by the Fang and I by both the latter and the four known kingdoms." Jaune responded, keeping his eyes forward. "Besides, we're not staying in Vale for long. We just need some supplies before heading out."

"Supplies? We could've got those at the port, or in the upper district." Ilia mumbled, her eyes glanced to her surroundings; the multitude of downtrodden folk grew as they continued their walk further into this district.

"Not the kind I'm looking for." Jaune muttered, his eyes broke from their forward gaze if only for a short moment. He stopped, causing Amitola to do so as well; she cocked her head to the side, confused as to the sudden halt. Though, when she heard Summer whispering, her hands drifted to her weapon. The doll never spoke unless she urgently needed to relay something. In which case, whatever she had to say would be taken with extreme caution. However, even from this close a distance, Ilia couldn't hear anything. And the ever-present silence from the blond did nothing to alleviate her growing anxiety from a possible danger lurking towards them. "Stay calm." Jaune finally spoke, his arm darted to the side, catching...something as he seemingly caught hold of air and twisted it backwards. What followed shocked Ilia as she now saw a dark skinned girl caught in his hold, yelping in pain as her palm wasn't intended to bend the way Jaune was currently holding her. The passerby's took notice of this interaction, and with indifference continued their daily lives, not caring for the thief that was just caught in the act. "Found something." Jaune commented, hoisting the minty-haired girl a little higher as she continued yelping at the way the blond was twisting her arm.

"I noticed." Amitola replied dryly, wondering how it was she didn't notice this girl sooner. The only possibility that came to mind was the girl using a semblance. A damn good one at that, to hide oneself from plain sight or simply create an area-effected illusion were indeed valuable abilities, and perfect for a thief.

Speaking of which, both kept their eyes on the girl groaning in pain, on her knees as she realized she was discovered and would soon face a punishment by these foreigners. Judging by their matching outfits, she could only guess they were either mercenaries or members of some syndicate outside of Vale. She was half-right on both her guesses, though, as she winced and awaited whatever punishment these two would deal out, she found herself instead freed. Glancing towards the two unknowns, she felt the urge to simple bolt for the nearest alley and disappear. But, she felt three pair of eyes directly on her. And two of those spine tingling stares were coming from the blond. She felt herself rooted to the ground, unable to make a move as the blond took a few steps closer to her, his face leaned in ever so. When he did, she instinctively leaned away, though; she couldn't help but take notice of the seemingly glowing ocean blue orbs inspecting her from head to toe.

"Hmm, I like what I see." With confusion being the primary emotion, the minty-haired girl flinched when he said that. Now more than ever she felt like bolting, though she wouldn't mind giving him a piece of her mind before she left. "Patient and cautious, pick-pocketing skills are obviously above amateur. Stealthily enough to move unnoticed, a semblance perfect for a thief...speaking of..." he reached into his cloak, retrieving both his wallet and a small leather satchel. Judging by the widened eyes of the thief, it was safe to assume that satchel was hers. "Nice try, 'A' for effort and execution." He complimented her again. Rather than berate or attempt to punish her in the way most that caught her did, as few as there were, the minty-haired girl was at a loss for words. She wasn't exactly sure what to say. In a way, she assumed he was simply saying these things to get her to drop her guard. Which worked, if only for a few seconds, as she quickly regained her senses, knowing full well she couldn't trust these unknowns.

Yet.

"I have a proposal for you."

~growl~

And just like that, the girl's face had burned a bright crimson that would put her eyes to shame. Ilia glanced away, her body visibly shaking. Jaune, openly chuckled, albeit dryly, before turning back to the direction of the upper district. "Before that, why don't we get some food? My treat." The girl glanced between the two, her mind kept nudging her to bolt out, to run and never look back. But, they were offering a free meal, something she hadn't had for a while now. Still, for all she knew they were probably leading her into some trap...but then, if they were, it seemed complicated to just simply do so now rather than in the upper district. After all, here no one would bat an eyelash at her kidnapping, whereas in the upper district at least the law did its damned job. With another insisting growl from her stomach, and against her better judgement, she nodded. And from the limited portion of his face she could see, she could've sworn she saw him grin.

All the while, Ilia was becoming hesitant of the sudden inclusion of some unknown into their little traveling party. And she wasn't subtle with her feelings over Jaune's actions.

"This the 'supplies' you were looking for?" She asked, the hint of annoyance in her tone was as clear as Kuo Kuana's ocean.

"Something like that." Jaune responded, stoically.

"You gonna pick up every stray we come across?" She sent a mild glare towards him. "Or just the pretty ones?" Her last comment didn't go unnoticed by the newcomer as she felt herself tense up at the angry short girl's comments.

"No." The blond responded, his turned sideways, his eyes staring directly at the minty-haired girl. "This one has potential." And with that, his eyes glanced back forward. The minty haired girl felt a tint of pink spring on her cheeks at his comment. Though, she felt as if they didn't care whether she was listening to them or not, considering they made no effort to make their opinions subtle. She flinched when she noticed the female's eye staring at her, unimpressed, if she had to guess the expression hidden by the kasa and cloak.

"She is cute." She commented, turning her eyes forward, leaving the girl again with a great deal of confusion and growing anxiety. These compliments felt genuine, but she knew next to nothing of these two. Her first impression indicated they were perhaps from some foreign syndicate looking to spread their reach to Vale, perhaps even mercenaries looking for their next target or meal. But, their interactions so far were closer to just two friends looking for...

An idea dawned on her, where they looking to recruit her? The blond showed more interest in that particular idea, his friend; not so much. But, that left the thief with an unnerving amount of questions stockpiling. From their initial encounter, she was thoroughly shocked when he caught her, even more so when he did so without even having to activate his aura. Still, that raised another question; how strong were these two? And why exactly were they looking to recruit kids off the streets. Her questions would have to wait as she noticed they had stopped in front of a small noodle stand. It was obscure, and blended in with its surroundings, surprisingly.

Jaune turned to the girl. "Name's Jaune, by the way." He hesitated on that little bit, if only for a second.

Introductions it seemed, and judging by the way he hesitated only sprung up red flags. Even so, the thief introduced herself as well. "Emerald."

"Ilia, if anyone cares." Amitola threw in, noticing the pink tints still present on Emerald's cheeks. Which, for some reason, made her edge closer to the blond.

"So that's your name." Jaune chimed in, earning an elbow to his ribs, albeit playfully.

These two weren't at all what they appeared to be. Their outfits might've given off a menacing vibe, but hearing the banter between them, it left little to be frightened of.

As they ate, Ilia and Jaune retained their kasas, Emerald assumed they were attempting to remain incognito; however, they still stuck out like a sore thumb. Thankfully, the folks that stole a few glanced simply gave them a weird look and then simply moved along. And to say they ate a lot was simply understating it. The thief was told to order as much as she wanted, and she did, but these two had three stacked bowls to the side whilst wolfing down their fourth. Meanwhile, the minty-haired thief was barely finishing her second. While the two ate, she couldn't help but feel an extra pair of eyes on her. The odd thing was, she felt those same pair when she used her semblance to try and pickpocket the blond. And what made the feeling all the more uneasy was the fact that the doll currently laying atop the blond's kasa, on its belly, was looking at her. She knew she wasn't crazy when she assumed the damned thing was actively eyeing her. She could feel it; the constant stare coming from two seemingly lifeless eyes. It only unnerved her more when, and she swore she had seen it; the doll's eyes drifted away. She almost recoiled off her chair had she also not noticed Ilia's eyes on her.

"She looking at you?" Amitola whispered to the minty-haired thief. When she nodded, albeit hesitantly, Ilia gave a faint grin. "Been there, you get used to it."

"That's if she accepts my offer." Jaune noted. The shopkeeper was busy in the back of his stand, probably preparing more food as his current customers had practically devoured their meals with little resistance.

Another thing Emerald kept in mind was that he had yet to return her satchel to her. Perhaps as either a bargaining chip, or to keep her from running off.

"Emerald..." Jaune stacked the now empty bowl atop the other three, glancing towards the visibly awkward thief. "If I ask how you see the world, what would be the first thing that comes to your mind?"

She only needed a moment to think of an answer, that wasn't much of a surprise. "It's fucked up."

" _Language."_

"There's little food to go around the urban districts, meanwhile the fat fucks up in the upper throw what little scraps they have our way. Food and money are in short supply, and people drop like flies pretty often. Do you know how long it's been since I've had an actual me-" her voice stopped dead in its track, her brain catching up to the sudden echo like voice that scolded her for her foul language. Only, that voice wasn't Ilia's or Jaune's, and it certainly wasn't the old shopkeeper's.

"You were saying?" Jaune asked, leaning towards her, and it was then that the thief realized something she failed to notice before; the doll was no longer atop the blond's kasa. Rather, when she turned her head, to see if it had fallen, she felt something lying atop her head. Her hand, shakily, reached up, recoiling as she felt the soft fabric and shape of a doll atop her head. The small toy fell, but before hitting the table, it remained suspended in midair, a few inches from the counter. The doll's body shifted to an upright position, dusting its clothes, and hovered over to Jaune, landing softly on his right shoulder.

She had the floor to speak, but she felt herself unable to do so. How could she? She had just seen a toy move about, seemingly autonomously. Adding to it, she also felt something warm atop her head. But as she reached over to where the doll had lay, she found herself unable to move. Instead, she remained frozen, with her hand midway to her head. She began panicking, especially since, when she glanced to the blond, he was still smiling, from what little she could tell. A thin blue string was emanating from his right pointer finger, the string extended seeming to the top of her head where...the doll was.

"You aren't as discreet as you would like to believe." Jaune muttered, his softened tone was replaced with something that even Ilia felt send a shivering tingle crawling up her spine. Emerald felt it worse as she was on the receiving end of whatever this blond had planned. "Your little semblance allows you to pull off heists rather easily, and often from right under the noses of your victims, literal in some cases." Jaune reached for a glass of water, downing its contents slowly, adding to Emerald's growing anxiety. Never in her life did she feel as helpless as she did now. "You're much better than an amateur, but you got cocky, you slipped up. Rumors began to spread, and news of your little stunts reached my ears all the way in Menagerie. But, I believe your powers could be put to better use than petty larceny. So I'll get straight to the point; I want to change the world, and you would make a useful addition to our group." The tone had shifted from a faintly awkward, lightheartedness to one of chilling determination and hardened ambition. "War, hatred, famine, disease...you can list an abundance of reasons as to why the world is the way it is...but the simple fact of the matter is no one ever takes action, and those that do, are most often inadequate to change the world itself. You can start a revolution now, but in less than a few years, the people will forget why they fought, and eventually they'll return to how they were before. The problem is the easiest to identify, but the solution…" Jaune wiggled his fingers, bringing Emerald closer to him. Her pupils dilated as she was now mere inches away from his face. The lower half of his cloak reached up to his nose, so that was a weight off her mind. However, what she came to stare upon were blue orbs, or rather, one blue orb. Jaune's right hand was over his left eye, seemingly removing a contact from his pupil before revealing a silver eye. "Well, that right there is where the hardest decisions must be made." The heterochromia wasn't unsettling, it was the fact that Emerald felt no control of her body, whatever move she tried to make, she couldn't. "Emerald." She flinched, hearing her name being uttered by this guy. "I'm going to make you an offer, but first tell me; what is it you want most?"

And for a clear moment, the thief thought on it, doing so only for the fear of what he would make her do if she chose to give them the common 'I don't know' response. Food and money were covered, that wasn't much of an issue. Though, her illusions would only last for so long, and only in controlled circumstances. But like the blond said, she got careless one time, and if this kid knew of her, no doubt she'd caught the attention of others. And they'd come for her, just like him. Though, she doubted she'd have it any easier with them than she did with the blond.

"I don't want to be weak." She admitted. She knew this was a mistake, letting this unknown know a fear of hers left her vulnerable. And yet, with the many chances he had to kill her, he didn't. Knowing her illusions wouldn't work on him a second time, and with no control of her body, she decided to simply play along. What she didn't expect was nearly dropping to the floor after regaining control of her body. That didn't stop her from falling to her knees, however. Relishing in finally being able to move her limbs freely, Emerald glanced up when she caught sight of a shadow looming over her. The blond was handing back her satchel, she could still see his silver/ocean eyes, staring intently at her.

"My people had ways of enhancing aura, to a degree that even I found impossible to believe. But, I can teach you these things, I will help you become stronger than you are now. All I ask in return is for you to stand by my side." Ilia watching intently from the sidelines. She couldn't believe this blond was recruiting some girl he only met that day. Given his little stunt just now, no doubt the girl would realize the level of power he had, to be able to control a person with only the movement of ones fingers was an unnerving thought.

Oddly enough, when glancing at Emerald's head, where Summer was, she caught sight of an odd glyph, seemingly painted on to the girl's head, and there was a faint, extremely faint, sign of a light blue string within the center of the glyph.

"Why me?" Emerald asked, to which Jaune grinned.

"Like I said; you have potential." Though, in an odd twist, Jaune tossed the girl her satchel before turning to walk away, but not before leaving a hefty amount of Lien on the counter. With Ilia following closely behind, Jaune turned once more to the minty-haired girl. "Tomorrow my friend and I will be leaving through the northern gate no later seven in the morning. If you wish to take me up on my offer, then I will see you there. If not, then I wish you luck in the slums. Who knows, perhaps our paths will cross again someday…I just hope we're on the same side should it come to that." And without another word left to say, Jaune and Ilia left. Emerald remained on the ground, her brain busily processing what just occurred. This encounter was, odd to say the least, and with a dash of unnerving wary. She wanted nothing to do with these two. The blond was more trouble than she could handle, the other was a clear unknown. However, she saw opportunity in this. The power he displayed, and the willingness to take her on as an apprentice; she foresaw a great deal of riches, more than a few Lien from old worn out wallets. Not to mention, she would have two companions to watch her back. Although, even she had to wonder over what would become of her should she decline and the two were on opposite sides. Her body shivered at the thought of losing control of her body again. As she rose up with her satchel, and a few of the Lien the blond left behind, she pondered more over what to do as she returned to the slums. All the while unaware of a pair of amber eyes focused on her from a distance.


	8. Pain and Peace

It was quiet, uncomfortably so. Sitting across from one another in their rented room, Jaune fiddled with various vials and potions he recovered from his shop, meanwhile Ilia was tinkering with her weapon. The two rented the space not too long ago that day, and before so they departed from what Jaune called an attempt to recruit a thief to their apparent traveling party. Granted, she could see the benefits of having someone with a semblance like Emerald's, however, she felt a bit put off when he revealed to have had a silver pupil. It wasn't exactly a common shade to have for eyes, but it irked her that a barrage of questions were piling on as she had little to no idea what it was that the blond was aiming to accomplish. So much so that she even questioned whether she knew him at all. Granted, growing up with him did little as he wasn't exactly fluent in their language yet, but even now, she wasn't sure if her time working for him gave her any insight. She knew his adoptive mother had mentioned a home in Patch, which was no less than a small boat ride away. Though, judging by his intent on leaving through the northern gate, a fair assumption could be made that he wasn't necessarily going to Patch any time soon.

"Something on your mind?" Her head cocked up, her eyes fixed on the blond whose attention was on the vials before him. Or rather, the red and purple vials used to coat Summer's wrist blades. His uses of toxins in combat were effective, but she couldn't help but wonder if he would ever use an actual weapon. If he wanted...if she grew to be of no use to him...her next cup of tea could be her last. "Ilia?"

Again, the chameleon's attention was brought back to reality as now she found the blond staring at her with his ocean blue eyes. Well, with one blue, and the silver being hidden away for some reason. "I..." She began, though, had a harder time speaking the words. "...I didn't know you had a silver eye." She mumbled, while not exactly what she wanted to say, she thought more on what gave her grounds to ask the blond for what she really wanted to ask.

The blond, if only for that one moment, showed genuine guilt, faint as it was. "Heterochromia isn't that rare." His comment was, albeit akin to their conversation, was not exactly what she intended on receiving.

"Why hide it then?" Her breath hitched when she saw the blond seemingly frozen in place. The vial in his hand was near close to dropping; thankfully he regained himself and placed the vial on the desktop beside his bed. He seemed lost in thought for a bit before retracting the blades back into the doll's sleeves.

"Because when I was born my clan took one look at me and wept. Not for me, but because a half-breed was birthed into their lineage." Again, Ilia felt at a loss for words, for the blond to share this much with her, it only made her wonder if he was blindly putting his faith in her. Though, upon hearing him speak of his birth, she wondered why it was that he was seen so negatively amongst his people. The term half-breed was seemingly spoken with a tint of venom.

"A half-breed?" She asked.

Jaune took a quick glance at Summer as she kept her eyes elsewhere, unwilling to look him in the eye. Jaune knew little of the strife his clan had with his mother's people, but from what little he picked up from the elders and the runes, he had a fair assumption of the hostilities between the two. "Human blood, my mom...she belonged to a group of people that tried to wipe out my people, ages ago. Didn't exactly work out so well." He muttered that last bit, hissing as he felt Summer's hand pinching his cheek. "I know! I know! Touchy subject." He managed to remove the doll's grip as he continued. "When she and my dad met...the subject wasn't exactly brought up over what clans they belonged to, they were just two folks who got drunk and...got busy." He mumbled, a tint of red flashed across his cheeks, he vehemently refused to so much as continue hinting at what occurred, but Amitola picked up on something other than hesitance; doubt. It almost seemed as even Jaune didn't believe that was how his folks met. "Nine months later..." he gestured to himself. "Into the world I come. And only then does my father reveal who he is, as did my mother...if my grandfather hadn't intervened, there would've been blood spilt, both my mother's and mine." The way he spoke so nonchalant about it drew a picture of the conditions the boy grew up with at such an early age. "Funny thing about my mom's folk; they _all_ had silver eyes."

Amitola didn't know what to say at this point, or rather, she didn't know what would be an appropriate response to his little tale. At this point Jaune removed his Kasa, placing it aside. It was odd he didn't do so earlier, but then, Ilia had already chosen not to question the blond when he did something. After all, she was still coming to terms that Summer was sentient, and he treated her as if she were a real person. And then something dawned on her; silver eyes. The doll had 'em, and so did Jaune, well, half. And the boy was overly fond of his wooden companion.

"Did your mom know?...about your eyes?" She was treading on thin ice, but at this point she was too curious not to attempt to ask.

Jaune shook his head. "No, when I was born my tribe made sure to keep me away from my mother until they found a way to hide my silver eye from her." He took a deep breath before turning his eyes to the window. In an odd twist, he chuckled. "I'm surprised they hid me so well, she can be 'persistent' when it comes to finding something she wants..." the blond trailed off, something about that statement suddenly dampened his mood, as if confirming something he feared. His eyes wandered for a moment, lost in thought before continuing his little story. "But, where I got my name from a passing merchant, my old man got me contacts from a nearby settlement. Told me to always have them on, said silver-colored eyes was a taboo amongst the Reavers. Even with my mom, I wasn't allowed to show my heterochromia."

"If your people didn't like silver-eyes that much, how was it your dad hooked up with your mom?" Ilia asked, that particular inconsistency was bugging her.

In response, Jaune shrugged, chuckling dryly before crossing his arms. "Believe me, I wish I knew. Never really believed that whole 'drunk hookup' story." The blond took a moment to gather his thoughts, caring little at this point how much he shared. As far as he was concerned, with him now on the run, each day could be his last. And speaking to Ilia about it; it gave him a momentary peace of mind. He rose up, shifting for a moment before his cloak dropped to the floor. And before Ilia could muster up a response, she found herself stunned at what she saw. It was an outfit almost identical to lady Kali's, only difference was that he wore a pair of skin-tight shorts that fit with the ensemble. It was no longer the fact that he dressed in a manner that gave off an androgynous vibe, but that he seemed to fit out the attire well. With maybe a little makeup, possibly a little like lady Kali's, it would only make him all the more of a trap for potential suitors. A small tint of pink lit her cheeks as the blond lay on his bed, Summer floating slightly above just before laying atop his chest.

The room remained silent for a greater amount of time, leaving Ilia to ponder over what she learned about her companion. She didn't deny that this painted Jaune in a whole new picture, leaving Amitola with more questions than she knew what to do with.

"I have a question?" Now it was the blond who appeared curious, his focus remained on the ceiling however. As for Ilia, her curiosity peeked as she wondered what it was that the blond wanted to know. "I don't mean to sound rude, but why are you traveling with me?" And that rocked her harder than she thought. A realization finally hit; she honestly had no reason to follow him. All that kept them together was the fact that the two were being hunted by the Fang. She had one reason, but it was a selfish one. A desire bred from fear, the fear of being alone in the world. Amitola recognized how the Fang would paint her actions in Menagerie, and she could also predict the reactions her family would have. A majority were supporters of the White Fang, leaving her as the only one who openly defied the Fang by partaking in the poisoning of their leader. But, how could she continue with them? She saw firsthand how disgustingly similar to humans her people could be; Jaune grew up in Kuo Kuana, worked small but reliable jobs, opened up his own shop, and openly voiced for peace. And the people he once called his friends wasted no time turning on him once they were privy to what he was. In a way, she related to his situation.

Never one for beating around the bush, and at this point caring little for pity or whatever the hell his response would be; she answered. "I don't want to be alone." She waited, feeling as though she could predict what his response would be.

Jaune remained silent before sighing softly. "Me neither. And I'm glad you're here." Ilia blinked a couple times before her eyes glanced to the blond, who had closed his eyes and breathed calmly. They opened again after a moment, his attention wasn't focused on anything in particular, but all the same he almost appeared staring intently at something. "But..." the girl froze, her breath hitched, wondering what it was that would force a contrary from the blond. She knew it wouldn't be racial or unspoken transgressions, but it didn't mean there wasn't a plethora of reasons for a contrary. "On the boat ride here, I wondered why it was there couldn't be peace, what was missing? Do we need a new form of government, should there be a new mandate on how to raise the next generation? Alter laws to make bigotry illegal? I tried working all of it out in my head, even spoke of it with Ghira a couple times." Jaune took a deep breath, remembering the last interaction he had with the chieftain. "And I came to one conclusion; Sienna was right." His admission caused Amitola's eyes to bulge slightly; never in her life did she expect to hear this boy admit that that Fang leader was right. Something was missing. "Partially." There it was. "Her aim was to solely benefit the Faunus, my goal is to bring lasting peace to the whole of Remnant."

The room remained silent, save for the rather sounds of the bustling city outside. It was an admirable and bold statement to make. And while Jaune showed potential in adapting, Ilia was skeptical of this boy's bold claim and whether or not he could make his dream a reality. "And how do you plan on doin that?"

His response, albeit odd, was a soft chuckle as he sat back up. He turned his body to face his companion, his eyes hardened as he uttered. "I'm going to burn the old world." Jaune remained silent again; the lingering answer remained in his head. He arose from the bed. Summer hovered just slightly above his head as he retrieved the kasa from his bed. "I'm going out for some air." And with that, he left. Leaving Ilia to her thoughts. She knew he wouldn't have the same mindset for peace, not after what happened in Kuo Kuana. But, she didn't know what to expect now, whether Jaune would remain true to the mindset of peace, or if he'd become like Sienna, or worse...thinking back on it, she wouldn't be surprised if that was the road he walked down now. His home, his people; gone. His second home drove him away, all of the hatred he faced, and none of it broke him. Or rather, nothing outwardly visible. Perhaps deep down, he was disturbed, he did admit to feeling slight animosity towards humanity. But, he never acted on it. What would be the next course of action, though?

Meanwhile, atop the roof of the inn, Jaune leaned against a railing, his eyes fixed on the luminous city, a sight he only now was privy to. While his sight was limited thanks to his attire, he could still admire what little his eyes could see. Subconsciously, his left hand was placed over his right eye. In many ways, it was easy to hide it, especially when he was told of the dangers of having this certain eye color. Vaguely from his grandfather, and most of it from Ghira. Of all the people he came to know after the Eradication, the Belladonna patriarch was by far the only one he'd shown his silver eye to. Jaune trusted him, though it wasn't all at once, he couldn't afford not to tell him considering he needed new contacts in the coming years. But now, the blond felt little care for who knew of his 'special eye'. Summer hovered above him, placing her right palm atop his head, comforting him in the only way she could. Though, upon catching sight of something nearby, her silver eyes remained on the intruder. Jaune's eyes glanced slowly towards where Summer's gaze was. A pair of crimson eyes were studying him from afar, an obvious giveaway as to who it was spying on him.

A faint smirk spread across his lips before calling out softly. "Hoping for a successful second run, Emerald?" For a moment, he could've sworn he heard her pursing her lips. From what seemed like thin air she emerged, her illusions seemingly having no effect on this blond.

Curiously, the theif's eyes remained on the doll, the first thing to somehow alert the blond to her presence. The same toy that, as crazy as it sounded, saw her coming the first time around. And while she knew the thing was nothing more than a lifeless husk, she couldn't help but feel the doll was staring right back at her.

"Emerald?" Her eyes snapped up, the blond's eyes were piercing through the kasa, although, she couldn't help but also stare at his attire. On the one hand, she assumed this blond was perhaps a girl; the tone of voice sure did fit. Although, she also couldn't deny the possibility this unknown was androgynous. If so, he sure as hell played the part, almost perfectly. "I'm waiting."

"What?" She asked, not realizing if he had spoken to her while she pondered away in her mind.

"I'd like to know why you're here." The doll flew hovered ever so lightly above him; its eyes were fixed eerily on him, as if the doll itself was wary of her.

For just a moment, Emerald turned her attention away from the doll, and on to the blond before her.

"I wanna know what your aim is. Why would you want me to be a part of your little party? And what exactly are you guys aiming for?" She didn't seem to beat around the bush either; a trait the boy was very fond of.

"My goal?" He spoke with an almost amused like tone, as if entertained by his own ideals and how exactly he would go about achieving them. "I want peace, for all of Remnant, even if I have to burn the world, and let a new one be birthed from the ashes."

The thief flinched, noticeably when he spoke of burning the world itself. "Sounds...ambitious."

Jaune chuckled, softly. "Well, that's one way to put it. But do you know why I would go to such lengths?" Emerald shook her head, curious in what he had to say, but wary of the intention of fanaticism he might incorporate in it. She'd heard that sort of talk all around, front the splinter group of White Fang in the city, to some more active anti-Faunus groups here and there. Jaune took a deep breath before gesturing to the city. "Take a look around, and you will find the answer; hatred. There is too much of it in Remnant. From the social unrest, to the constant political upheavals; there is no end to disdain the people hold against one another. Any chance at peace, equality, or understanding is met with the same pessimistic argument; we're just too different. And you know, maybe they're right." Jaune removed himself from the edge, stalking closer to Emerald as the thief stiffened. Though, that didn't mean she didn't hear every word he spoke, the blatant and obvious truth of it all; people just accepted that they would always be different, and never once has there been a long term movement of folks that wanted to change the status quo. Perhaps the Fang, and others like them, were groups that originally sought change. However, their presence was fleeting, and once their minor objective was obtained, their influence seemingly diminished as their purpose for being had been completed. People just seemed content with how they were. Without realizing it, when she took notice of the blond, he was standing next to her, albeit facing opposite of her. "Tell me, what do you think is needed for the people of Remnant to finally be equal?" It was a rhetorical question, she knew that much considering he'd probably just tell her in a bit. Although, that didn't stop her from wondering about the idea herself. And like she predicted, the blond continued. "Pain." He muttered. "A great pain, one which no annals, no historian, no text will ever dare to forget. A memory burned into the minds and hearts of generations to come. And when the world feels this pain, only then will everyone truly be equal. Because only they will the people finally understand one another."

Truly, the text book definition of a villain at its finest, and Emerald wasn't exactly the philosophical kind to give a damn or further the argument. But, all the same, in an odd, albeit faint, manner; he did have a lick of sense. Still, she wasn't sure she wanted to throw her hat into this ring just yet. From the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a light bluish/gray pair of orbs prying from the entrance to the building.

"And what is it you want from us?" She asked, referring to the other companion he was with earlier.

Summer caught Emerald's sudden side-glance, her head turned to where the crimson eyes wandered to, only to find nothing. And oddity, but the doll kept her guard up, just in case. "From Ilia?...I'm not sure. At this point, knowing what I intend to do, I don't exactly expect her to settle for another Kahn." His reference wasn't entirely lost on the thief, she knew of the Fang leader going by the name Kahn, and from the way he spoke, she wouldn't be surprised if that leader was going by this route as well. "If I'm honest, I fear she will leave. And while I don't wish her to go, I will not stop her. Nor will I force you into joining me. As to what I want from you; i ask that you help me in bringing peace to Remnant. To do that I want you to do what you do best; steal. I have no intention of reeling you in, on the contrary, I would encourage you to test the limits of your abilities. And should there be a time you get caught, or need a hand, you would only have to look to us for help."

For a moment, Emerald remained silent just before chuckling lightly to herself. "A guy like you wants to bring peace, but has no problem with me causing trouble. Kinda hypocritical, don't ya' think?"

Jaune merely smiled back, unnerving the girl to a great degree, yet for the life of her she couldn't understand why. "The only thing I care about is peace and my family, everything else is secondary as far as I'm concerned. Although, we would have an issue with unnecessary deaths, I would prefer to avoid killing needlessly." Jaune turned his body to her, unintentionally causing her to recoil, flinching a few steps back as he extended his hand to her. "A life where you are never hungry, a home to call your own, the promise of abilities that would give you an edge in your future encounters, and a family in lieu of a lonely life aimlessly wandering the streets for your next meal is what I can offer you." A pretty hefty packaged deal, she wouldn't deny that. The idea of having a family, a home, a good meal every day, by Oum that was definitely appealing. However, there still remained the fanatic ideals he held. She could see why he'd come to his own conclusion, but for the life of her she couldn't determine if joining him would be a good gamble or not. Though, looking back towards the city, she couldn't exactly say she wanted to continue a life like what she currently had; always looking for the next mark, hoping it'd be enough for a decent meal. And each time she used her semblance, she always ran the risk of getting caught, more so recently. "So, what say you?" It only took a moment for the thief to think it through before a smirk spread across her lips. She did, however, hesitate as her arm reached out to meet his. She shook, only once, affirming her acceptance to his offer.

"I'm in."

Back in their room, Ilia slumped in through the window, having stepped out as well for a little breather before hearing voices. Climbing up, she saw Jaune speaking with Emerald, and while she didn't hear from the beginning, she sure as hell heard up until the part where the minty haired thief decided to join them. Of course, what plagued ilia's mind was Jaune's statement; he wanted to bring peace to the world by way of causing tragedy. If Taurus heard it, no doubt the two would finally have something in common to talk over. Although, as to who would benefit from their actions, there still lay a difference between their ideologies; Adam wanted only the Faunus to emerge victorious, Jaune wanted only equality through shared pain. And, she could see what he meant by it; if the world felt a similar cause of pain, if he truly brought this world to its knees, the people would indeed have something to unite under. But, if he was to do it, then he had to know what that would mean for him. Right? To inflict upon the whole of Remnant a pain all of history would remember would mean he'd have to be...worse than Adam. He would become the enemy of the world. Willingly.

In a way, aside from the fanatically ramblings he went off on the roof, Ilia couldn't help but ask herself where this sudden determination to be a harbinger came from. He had to know full well of the possibility that he might not survive...

An odd pain in Amitola's chest had suddenly pinged, causing her to grasp to where she felt the pain, but, it did nothing to alleviate the feeling. The two were friends, that much was clear. Both were made outcasts from their home, exiled by different means, and yet...of all the futures he could've thought up; living a peaceful life elsewhere in Remnant, becoming a mercenary or hunter, opening a new shop and starting from scratch, Jaune instead chose to bring forth an ideal of peace. An image he noted was similar to Kahn's, though, his version would amount to equality and peace for all of the denizens of Remnant. Ambitious as it was, she couldn't understand how it is that he could speak of achieving something like that with such confidence. Granted, most folk had similar, if not more, motivation to reach for more impossible goals, but her questions remained with; why was he so sure he could bring peace to Remnant? Was there something he knew that others didn't? Did he have a plan? Cause if he did, she damn sure would love to hear it.

Although, knowing him, or rather what she knew so far; Jaune would likely tell her if she asked. He had placed a rather impressive amount of trust in her, more so now that he seemed determined to enact his plan. But then, what of her? And not just her, she knew Emerald wouldn't be the only one he'd recruit. The blond would need more hands for whatever stunt he was planning to pull, and no doubt he intended to keep the group small and mobile. But what would happen to them after? The thing that kept her with a sense of relief was Jaune's unwillingness to senselessly kill, and she had faith that he'd never lay an ill finger on the people he was going to call family. And yet, what would become of their group should they succeed? Should they fail? Going by what she knew of him, he'd never allow anyone to die in his battle, so no doubt, he'd...

A sudden twisting anger forced her teen to grind, her eyes narrowed, glaring at nothing, but with no less vigor.

It was the sudden twisting of the room's door that broke her train of thought as both the blond and apparently the minty-green thief entered. The blond with a stoic expression, and the thief with an wary expression. "We have a new member." Jaune commented, closing the door softly. "I take it you two know each other?" A faint smirk spread across his lips as he took a chair from a nearby desk and sat down.

"Suppose you can say that." Emerald responded, crossing her arms whilst leaning against the wall beside the door.

Amitola responded with a faint wave, and a similarly halfhearted grin. She was in no mood to receive their new 'sister', or whatever the hell kind of family Jaune had in mind. Thankfully, it didn't seem like the girl seemed to notice or care. Although, upon glancing to the blond, she caught his stern gaze, eying her. For a moment, she could've sworn she saw his expression shift to something akin to worry, maybe fear. But the stoic side prevailed, leaving her with the bliss of not having to discuss anything to anyone. For the moment. All she needed was something to occupy the blond's mind.

"So, you said something about leaving Vale in the morning, we're we headed?" Oh, what a blessing Emerald was turning out to be. Jaune reached over to his knapsack and pulled out a map he'd acquired from the docks.

He placed the parchment on his bed, allowing Ilia a good view, whilst Emerald had to walk over towards the two. The map showed a great deal of Vale and the surrounding lands, heavily detailed up to mourn Glenn, but onward was nothing less than scribbles and terrain not yet explored thanks to the Grimm. The blond pointed to a patch of land beside a few mountains, north of Glenn, dense forests, and a great deal shade of red ink.

"We're going here, there's something there I have to recover. And if it's still there, then our future just got a whole lot easier." Jaune's words weren't without impact, though, it did bring up a great deal of confusion.

"And if it isn't?" The thief asked with crossed arms.

Jaune's finger drifted northward, towards a port settlement. "Then we move on to Vacuo. I have some unfinished business with an old dusty Qrow." Ilia openly groaned at hearing that drunkard's name, the smell alone made her cringe. "And from there...I'd say we look for another set of recruits. With our current numbers, four more should be enough."

With that tally count, they'd have seven members in their little family.

The thief raised an eyebrow at his specific choice of words, primarily the last bit. "What do you mean 'should be enough'?" A perfectly valid question, although, considering the two still didn't know how this little group of theirs was going to operate, the numbers might've meant something to what Jaune had in mind for his project for peace.

"Seven members will be all we'll need for our endeavor, assuming we find what we'll be looking for north of Glenn." He responded.

"And what is it we're looking for?" Ilia asked. However, and much to her surprise, Jaune simply folded the map and rose from his seat.

"A forgotten past." He answered, just before placing the chair back in its place, and gesturing the thief to the bed. "You can have my bed, I'll keep a lookout for prying eyes." While most would be confused, if not downright frightful at the prospect of having unwanted attention on them, this trio seemingly got the hint that they caught the eye of someone in Vale. Whether good or bad was up for debate, and not something they'd were going to risk. "Both of you, sleep. We'll be up pretty early tomorrow, and it's gonna be a very long walk."

"What time do we circulate?" Amitola asked. The blond thought it over before holding up three fingers. The two girls nodded, though before Emerald, as it appeared though she was going to volunteer, Ilia spoke up first. "Then I'll take last watch." Her eyes drifted to the thief. "You'll take the second watch." And without a chance to debate, Ilia sunk into her covers and proceeded to ignore any and all attempts at conversation henceforward. However, that didn't mean she was fully asleep throughout that time as she could hear the blond and thief conversing.

On the other hand, knowing she'd have to take the next watch, Emerald slumped into the covers and fell fast asleep. Leaving Jaune alone with his thoughts. Or so he had hoped. An hour in, and he faintly flinched when Amitola shifted in her covers. She sat up, gaining his attention, more so when she stood up slowly and stalked calmly towards him. She said nothing, made no sound in either voice or movements. Instead, she took a spot beside him, her eyes focused forward, but the weight of whatever burdened her thoughts was all too apparent. And in a way, it unnerved Jaune. He was used to Ilia being straightforward, never one to dance around an issue. Yet here she sat, hesitating.

Hoping to break the tension, the blind reached into his pocket and retrieved a little plastic card. "Lien for your thoughts?" His attempt failed, as neither a smile or sound presented itself from the Faunus. Instead, she blankly received the slip of money, staring at it for a brief moment before tossing it across the room, startling the blond.

"Where...?" His head cocked to the side, obviously confused. Though, she wasted no time clarifying, albeit as quietly as possible. "Where did this sudden 'I gonna burn the world' mentality come from? A few days ago, we had tea during our break while you went off about how Adam's ideals were what kept humans from accepting the Faunus. And now, here you are declaring that you'd burn all of Remnant just to bring peace to it...what the hell happened? Did I miss something?" She had brought her knees close to her chest, and her eyes were fixed on the floor ahead of her. Her expression matched that of a confused young woman, unsure of what she was doing with her life and how it all came to this.

Jaune took in what she said and sighed to himself. She wasn't wrong, his demeanor had changed, an impossible leap one would say. Though, that was assuming he wasn't already planning this beforehand. Make no mistake, the blond had no intention of killing unnecessarily, taking life was an act he reserved for the utmost dire of circumstances. However, that didn't mean he was not without prejudice, case in point; he didn't exactly have warm feelings towards humans. But those sentiments were pushed aside, they had to be. "No, but to be fair I don't rant how I really feel the way Taurus does." And like that, Amitola felt her view of the blond take a whole new turn. She still refused to face him, but that didn't keep a faint gasp to escape from her lips. Hearing the near audible gasp, Jaune clarified. "Don't get me wrong, I'm not going on some revenge-fueled, genocidal campaign, far from it. I truly want peace for this world for everyone. But we both know it'll take more than colorfully worded speeches and passive protests at this point. What this world needs is a common goal, a shared enemy. One that pushes them to the point of desperation." And there again was the fanaticism. By Oum, Ilia almost chuckled at the idea that it was no longer bothering her that her friend was announcing that he'd make the entire world detest him to the point that they'd actually put aside their differences.

"What about the Grimm?" She asked, referring to the natural enemy of all humanity and Faunus alike.

To her surprised, Jaune chuckled, dryly. "The Grimm are a danger, but unless provoked, they won't charge straight into the kingdom cities. Soulless they are, mindless they are not. Even so, the danger they pose is not nearly enough to force the world to act as one. What Remnant needs is someone backing then against a corner. Who better than the last Reaver on Remnant?"

Ilia had been gripping her legs tightly; her finger nails nearly digging into her flesh as her teeth clenched at his words. "Doesn't it bother you?" She murmured, bitterly. "That if you do this, this will be how the Reavers will be remembered; a race that sought out revenge by burning the world. And you...you will be vilified, hated and scorned by everyone."

"I'm already a demon to them, regardless." He answered simply. "And if that's how they will remember me, then maybe it's for the best." Without warning, Amitola grabbed the boy's shirt whilst pinning him against the wall, placing herself atop him. For the blond, he'd never seen Ilia this angered, or assertive. Considering the most she did was glare at him, he kept high hope she wouldn't strike him as he only now realized the comment he just made. Although, he was genuinely confused as to why it would bother her this much.

"...and what about us?" She asked, daring him to answer incorrectly. "What about your family?"

Jaune was taken back by her sudden question, calming his heartbeat before answering. "My family?"

"Lady Kali...Chief Ghira...Blake..." she muttered the latter hesitantly. "How would they feel if they knew you were doing this?" Her eyes glanced to Summer, the doll had remained suspiciously quiet the whole time. Though, its eyes were fixed on Jaune. "And what about your mom?"

Rather than respond, Jaune remained silent, his eyes had diverted from hers, fixed on anywhere but the grayish blue trying to burn a hole through him. "I need to do this."

"WHY!?" She lost her patience at this point, caring little if she awoke the thief or not. She shook him violently before leaning closer. "Why does it have to be you?" She snarled, a dam of tears was beginning to edge over, threatening to break loose. "I thought you wanted a normal life, a peaceful life. Why all of a sudden do you want to be like Kahn, and Taurus? What changed?" She croaked softly. She was near close to sobbing, and why wouldn't she? Her only friend now was offering his head to the chopping block, the firing squad, whatever the hell the kingdoms would use, it would all end the same way. And she was simply supposed to go along and let it happen?

"Nothing changed...that's the problem..." Jaune muttered. His eyes finally choosing to meet hers. "We both know... with how things are now...it might happen again..."

"What might happen?" She dared to ask, feeling a twisting churn in the pit of her stomach.

"Another Svartalf." The very word painted quite an image, especially considering the most Ilia had experienced in terms of discrimination was the common human sneers, insults, and references to her kind being akin to animals. Though, for Jaune and his people, they took the full brunt of humanity's rage. And to add to Ilia's growing distrust for humans, and huntsmen alike, this all came about due to a small group seemingly planning a coup. To which kingdom? No one knew. Who were the Reavers that we're supposed to launch this attack? There was surprisingly no information available on that subject. And to pile on to the mirror of similarities; the Reavers were pushed unto a single location, and eventually their home fell.

In an act that caught the Faunus girl by surprise, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her. Gently, she felt his head bury itself against her shoulder, holding her, not too hard, but gently enough. This sudden embrace brought a visibly pink tint to her cheeks, and had she not gain a semblance of control over her camouflage ability, her whole body would've shifted to a similar color.

"I know what I said early, but just for this one moment, I'm going to be selfish...please, don't leave me." The way he said it, it almost felt as if he were going to beg. Though, it did catch the Faunus off-guard. She made no cemented decision to leave, nor was she intending to just up and go back on her feelings regarding being alone. Still, for him to beg her to stay, claiming himself to be acting selfish, he knew the path he'd tread was one he didn't want to face alone. His breath had hitched at the image of Ilia walking out of his life, another friend...another loved one gone from his life. After having to leave His I'd life behind, twice, the blond couldn't bear to feel loss again, not so soon. Amitola returned the embrace, holding the blond tightly as well. Hearing him like this, it broke her heart. She remembered only ever seeing him calm and stoic, with the occasional smile and rare sorrowful expression. But here, she saw in him a trait she believed he no longer felt; fear.

All the while, lying awake in her bed, Emerld stared blankly at the wall, knowing full well her new 'team' was having a moment, and with quite a few bombshells she didn't see coming, particularly the one where she now knows her new boss is a Reaver. While appearing human, the race had gone and made a name of itself, being seen as separate by the humans, and framed as a pariah race to all of Remnant. And now, she was working for one to bring peace to the world. She'd chuckle at the idea, had it not been for one minor detail that currently kept her awake.

' _Damn…I have to pee…'_

 **Alrighty, let me start off by pointing the obvious, yes, Jaune's character took quite the turn, and the reason for that is…well, it's painfully obvious what Jaune's group will be based on, and who the blond is a mix of. Now, there will be a lot of similarities, and the plan this little group will set in motion will not side with either 'good' or 'bad'. That is the most I will say, however, stick around for the next chapter, and I guarantee answers. Will they be cryptic, forward, confusing? All of the above?**

 **Also, little side note, for those who didn't know the language I used for the Reavers, it's the Thu'um, from the Elder Scrolls Skyrim game.**

 **Thanks for reading, stay tuned.**


	9. Hidden in the Mist

A week had passed since the trio set out for northern Vale, their travels landed then in various small villages, an unending amount of stares for their outfits, to which Emerald bore a similar attire. Though, in place of a kasa she opted for a white mask, with no discernible features save for two narrowed eye slits, and a red claw mark on the bottom left half. How she acquired it, her team made no comments or raise a single question, to which she was rather grateful. Especially since the blond had told her he would make no uproar of her little acts of thievery. Suffice to say, as nomads went, they were perhaps the least subtle out there. But, that didn't matter, they never strayed too long, and their interactions with the townsfolk was little to none, save for the barkeep or Innkeeper they would go to for information or lodging. The trek north had been relatively easy, per se. Even when carrying a puppet he claimed to weigh in equivalent to an iron cuirass, Jaune seemed relatively fine walking long distance with the wooden contraption on his back. Ilia, for the most part, remained silent most of the time, speaking only every so often, and walking rather closely to the blond. As for the minty-haired thief, while she had a few remarks over the long walk they had to endure, she couldn't say she was displeased. The few amount of Grimm they encountered gave her a hint of excitement, and when not on the road or fighting Grimm, she found herself sparing with her teammates. She preferred Amitola, for obvious reasons being; she couldn't predict the blond's style. One day he'd use his puppet for a ranged attack, the next he fought at close range with daggers, and then another he'd get up close and personal with nothing but his bare fists. Still, she couldn't deny she enjoyed the company. The two had fun banter once in a while, the blond being the main one she'd have conversations with.

What she couldn't wrap her head around was the fact that her new boss was a Reaver, a people she had assumed had been wiped out long ago. She remembered watching the military bullheads fly across the Valen forests, scorching and shooting at any and all Reaver that managed to escape their eradication. Hell, it could've been seen from atop the city walls, by which many bared witness to such a massacre. And yet, here stood one of them, perhaps the last of his kind, declaring that he was going to bring peace to the word by means of tearing it down. She couldn't deny, he had his reasons to do so and with how he presented himself in their first meeting, no doubt he'd possibly pull it off too. She wasn't too optimistic though.

"Em?" The thief's eyes shot up, the Reaver had stopped, leading her to almost clashing with him. She was momentarily caught off guard with the nickname he had for her, but that was instantly brushed aside when her eyes caught sight of the path ahead of them. The forest was, in every meaning of the word, dead. What she assumed were remnants of trees lay either scorched or rotting. Bones of both animals and humans littered the grounds, scattered about. Though, the pieces that showed were partially buried within the blackened ground. All the while, a thick mist shrouded the deeper bowls of the deadlands; the bits that showed were primarily to dishearten any from entering. "Eyes up, stay close. And wear these." Jaune ordered, his voice carrying more of an authoritative tone than usual as he handed both her and the short Faunus gas masks. The thief hesitated for a moment; reluctantly she obeyed and stuck closely to the blond, as did Amitola. Upon entering, the three were finding themselves sticking closer than intended as the fog grew thicker as they continued their venture. At one point, and she had no idea how, Emerald found herself holding the blond's hand as she noticed that apart from his wrist to his elbow; he seemingly disappeared within the fog. A growing bulk of anxiety began growing in the pit of her stomach as she gripped his palm tighter, afraid to let go and be lost in the mist. In response, she heard the blond speak up, slightly easing her fear. "Stay calm, we're almost at the end." She had hoped he was right, though, she could only wonder why it was that the blond was so calm considering the circumstances. As they continued further his body had become visible again. Although, once the road ahead became visible as well, Emerald's eyes glanced forward, her breath hitched at the sight before her.

Their walk was nothing less than ten or fifteen minutes, but in that time they somehow came across woodlands again, as well as the sight of the pair of mountains from the map. As they departed from the grips of the mist, the blond removed his mask, signaling the others to do the same. Though, he did not halt his walk, rather, he kept his eyes forward as he continued venturing into the new spec of woodlands. Ilia and Emerald followed behind, the latter leaning over to Amitola for a moment.

"So, he tell you anything about where we're going?" She asked, to which Amitola shook her head. Leaving Emerald to sigh, tiredly, realizing their trek into the deadlands was an uphill climb. Albeit on soft terrain, the path was, oddly, paved.

While they continued their seemingly endless walk, the thief took a moment to take in her surroundings. The mist, possibly a type of miasma, seemingly encircled the forest and possibly towards the foot of mountains from which both on the map and from her view, formed a crescent moon, whilst the second half comprised of the miasma filled woodlands, giving this little spec of the forest a natural barrier against intruders. Although, whether anything or anyone was still living in this area was beyond her. All the same, the sight was nothing short of beautiful, the small streams, active wildlife, and untethered nature gave a sense of a world not yet touched by civilization. The smell, the sounds, it was...overwhelming? She couldn't exactly put a finger on it; it was just so different than the bustling sounds of a sleepless city. Here, there was peace, there was quiet. She couldn't deny the beauty...but, she also couldn't imagine a life in a place like this. Emerald had grown accustomed to sound, the ever booming bustling metropolis. Smells of varying food carts, a constant police siren each day, or the sound of a bullhead passing overhead each day. She loved this sounds, she loved those attributes. So, whatever her boss hoped to acquire here, she hoped it wouldn't lead to them staying here. Still, she wouldn't deny the appeal of this piece of Vale. It was calming, for lack of a better word.

That feeling, sadly, wouldn't last as they reached a clearing, and the three were greeted to a sight that made two of them nearly gasp with horror. A city, or what remained of it, made entirely of wood and stone. Primarily the latter. This city was something akin to what one would see in a text book regarding ancient civilizations of either Stone Age, or something akin to it, only this one found itself with crumbling structures, bones and tattered clothing scattered amongst the rubble, and multiple craters that indicated a series of aerial bombings. Amongst the dead in tribal clothing, Ilia and Emerald were shocked to see Valen and Atlesian military uniforms amongst the dead. These, however, were without any sign of bullet or melee damage, as were a great deal of the dead they lay with. So begged the question; how did they die? As they ventured further into the lifeless city, they noticed quite a spectacle; a temple-like pyramid, built into the side of the mountain. A portion of the steps were blown to hell, whilst the base of the structure was littered with even more bones than anywhere else. It was then that they noticed something, to rather a lack thereof; sound. Their footsteps were perhaps the only sound produced here. There was no feeling of wind, no sign of wildlife, and there wasn't a hint of vines or sprouting green from the untended architecture. It was as if the city remained dead with its former occupants. Not to mention, the looming clouds overheard blocked away any form of sunlight, shades of dull grey were the only colors aside from the gold and black cloaks the trio wore. Even the vibrant, albeit tattered, robes of the deceased Reavers had been dulled with the passage of time. Adding to the tone of these ruins, they smelled nothing either. The air was still there, but it was far from with any tint of life.

"Ok...anyone else creeped out?" Emerald's question echoed, eerily, receiving no response, however, it provoked Ilia to stop in place. The blond did so as well, turning his head to face a slightly frowning Faunus.

"Jaune, where are we?" The blond took another glance around, his eyes locked on to a second temple, with the scorched remains of a purplish tree and a spear embedded into one of its roots, still standing.

"This...is Xolotl. It is...was the stronghold of the Reavers..." the two teens, with widened eyes, took another glance at the dead city. The realization struck them like the tail end of a semi; they stood in the after effect of the Eradication. The remains of the Reavers of this dwelling lay at their feet; they stood on a mass graveyard. That explained the various dead Valens and Atlesians, they probably arrived via Bullheads, bypassing the miasma border. "This place is where my people first established our roots..." Jaune's eyes focused on the large courtyard at the base of the temples. "...when we were exiled from the eyes of humanity..." His brows furrowed as he pressed down on the skull of an Atlesian in an officer's uniform. "...I suppose simply being hidden away wasn't enough for them."

"Why did you bring us here?" Ilia's frown had disappeared, replaced instead with worry at whatever reason he had for bringing them to this dead city.

The blond remained silent for a second, his eyes glancing back to the tree, but then finally remaining on the temple before them. "First we enter the temple. I'll explain once we're in." And with that, he began climbing the steps, Emerald following closely after. Yet, where Ilia would normally be right behind him, she found herself frustrated that he kept dodging her question. Was it too difficult to simply explain what it was they were there for? She sighed heavily, throwing a few choice curses in a hushed tone, and followed.

It took five minutes only nonstop climbing to reach the top. Upon doing so, Jaune continued walking to the temple door with nary a bead of sweat on his forehead. Emerald and Ilia were barely able to breathe as the two stopped to catch some air before continuing after the blond. They noticed the temple doors slightly ajar, with stone statues depicting what they believed to be a type of canines with horns adorning the entryway. Scattered around the temple's courtyard were a hefty pile Atlesian bones and guns scattered about. With no hesitation, the blond seemingly made sure to step atop every uniformed soldier, cracking bones and often kicking skulls aside out of annoyance. This form of desecration was not expressed amongst those of tribal clothing, ones the blond took careful heed to step over, to which the teens mirrored. Upon reaching the doors, it took the combined effort of the three to pry the stone slab open. What they found, though, was enough to actually halt the blond in his trek. Within the main hall of the temple were the remains of the children of the city. Seemingly all rushed and piled inside the temple in the hopes they would be safe from the invaders. The ones by the doors did have signs of both tracer and dust rounds on their clothing; the ones further inside did not. Which prompted a question Emerald didn't expect to openly ask, but came out nonetheless. "What the hell happened here?"

Jaune's face was a mixture of unbridled rage, and ever growing sorrow. He knew what had happened here, why many of the bodies scattered across the city were without a sign of a fight to their deaths.

"The Elderseer." He muttered, garnering the full attention of his companions. He gestured to the second pyramid with the scorched tree. "I'm assuming...in a last pit of effort to assure their enemy would not leave with a sense of glory, the people of this city used the tree's toxins to shroud Xolotl in the same mist that guards the entry to this land." The two teens were again just as shocked as they were horrified to hear of what occurred in this city; the Reavers, knowing full well their chances of winning were so low, they instead opted to poisoning their entire home, killing both the invaders and their populace all together. "The interior walls of the temple are thick enough to block out the miasma, hence why they probably rushed to hide the children here...but..." The blond's eyes glanced, not only to the scattered remains of the invaders, but also to the cracks and holes adorning the walls and possibly roofs of the temple. The only safe haven was compromised, meaning no one was safe. And knowing that, they wished they had just kept their mouths shut. It was bad enough hearing vague reports about what the kingdoms did, but to see the full effects of their invasion, it made both their stomachs turn. But then, they also had to wonder what it was that made the Reavers so desperate to destroy the Valens and Atlesians that they'd even sacrifice their own home? The two teens pondered on that thought as they quickly realized the blond had taken a vial of pyro dust and set a nearby torch ablaze.

The blonde, however, had one last bit of info to share in regards to the burnt tree. "I would've rather died bleeding out by a dust round, that tree's poison...it's worse than torture. Or so I've seen." Without even glancing back at his teammates, Jaune ventured further into the temple, the faint glow of his torch being all the light that would shine for them as he appeared to now be descending a flight of stairs. The two teens quite literally jumped to their feet and rushed after him. Sticking as close to him as they were in the mist. Though, they stared curiously at the visible hieroglyphs and runes adorning the still intact walls of the lower levels. Well, partially intact, there were a few rooms that had caved in.

Upon finally reaching the bottom, the glyphs had become symmetrical, from left and right, almost the images, albeit crude and fading, held in them various depictions of the Grimm, some of human-like figures of various colors wielding swords, their aims were towards the Grimm, a story that wasn't exactly in need of an explanation. What was in need of clarification were figures behind the Grimm, their arms held out in front of them, and hollowed out figurines connected through strings floating above them. The color schemes for the various human and Faunus-like figures were a mixed variety, common colors being blue and gold. Yet, upon seeing the ones standing behind the Grimm, their colors were akin to a deep shade of grey. All of them. And seemingly above them were beings of a silver shade with angelic wings. Though, their swords were drawn towards the puppeteers beneath them, not the Grimm.

As they approached two large doors, Jaune stopped, taking a moment to ponder before turning the torch back to the girls, removing his kasa. His piercing ocean and silver eyes had softened, though, they remained stoic. "Tell me, what is your favorite fairy tale?"

Both teens stared blankly back at the blond, taken aback by the sudden question that seemingly came out of nowhere. The thief and Amitola glanced to one another for a moment before turns back towards the blond. Neither had much of an answer, or rather, could not find words to answer. The question came out all of a sudden, and the two were still trying to wrap their heads around the dead city they just traversed over. All the while, the blond showed no prolonged effect of seeing the remains of his people. His lack of care didn't bother Ilia, she would only assume the blond was grieving internally, but his ambition and determination prevailed above his sorrow.

Emerald on the other hand, wasn't with such foresight, and she wasn't subtle with how she felt either. "How can you be so calm right now?" Her question did prompt a raised eyebrow from the blond, though genuine confusion, his expression returned to that of stoic.

"About the graveyard?" He could see the look in her eyes, they weren't hostile, but rather, curious and filled with doubt. For how could a man who has seen the very homeland of his people, reduced to rubble and littered with corpses. "Xolotl was not the only massacre. The four kingdoms launched an all-out assault on my people; they attacked all of the Reaver settlements, including my village." Jaune's tone rose with each word he spoke, but for the sake of civility he kept himself from going further by taking a momentary breather before continuing. "And..." Jaune's eyes wandered, landing on an image of the Elderseer, holding his torch towards the image of the tree. "I already know what the poison does to the human, Faunus, and Reaver bodies, respectively. It's not exactly an image I can forget. I can guess what happened here, picture it even. But, time is not forgiving if wasted, and I have no intention of leaving here empty handed." And with that, Jaune's eyes narrowed. "So answer my question; what is your favorite fairy tale, Emerald?"

The minty-haired girl felt another shiver crawl up her spine as she fumbled with her answer. Though, having lived on the streets, she wasn't exactly versed in much literature, save for one tale that stuck with her. "W-w-well...i-i-I'd have to say...the tale of the two brothers." Within a second after she gave her answer, the blond's glare eased, giving her a sense of relief as she recollected herself. His attention shifted to Ilia, whom had less of a reaction to his stare, and merely tilted her head forward, pondering her answer.

"Mine would be...the man with two souls...although; I also have a soft spot for the Four Maidens." Jaune hummed at her response.

"Well known stories those are." The blond commented. The two became confused at the statement, wondering what it had to do with them being at the temple, or if it played a part in Jaune's plan. Without warning, Jaune placed a palm against the left wall, a faint glowing light emitted from the boy's hand. Just as it dimmed, a door-like shape retracted, opening a passage one wouldn't have expected to find within the painted walls. Shining a small light within, the small group found an elongated passage, the walls as well inscribed with depictions of, primarily, three seemingly omnipotent beings. An assumption made due to the size of their depictions, and the apparent smaller figures below on their knees with arms raising towards their respective gods. As the blond entered, and the two teens followed closely behind, the blond's arm raised a torch to the hieroglyphs. "But, stories had to come from somewhere. And many stories carry with them a lick of truth." He commented, examining the various glyphs around him. To Jaune, this was a bit nostalgic. He had been in these tunnels before; he'd seen the item they had come for. Whether or not it was still here had yet to be seen. Though, he couldn't for the life of him think of another place it would be if not here. It wasn't exactly something the Reavers would've risked moving elsewhere.

As they reached the end of the corridor, entering a still darkened room. With what little light shone, the trio took quick notice of glimmering pieces of coin scattered across the floor. Alongside were broken wooden chest and splinters scattered about. As the blond walked forward, he lit hanging lamps. Which, oddly enough, held fragments of pyro dust. They wouldn't shine for much longer, but enough to light the room, which in itself was indeed massive. Though, the scale wouldn't be fully realized until the blond had reached what they could only guess to be the center of the room as there were a series of levers. In the middle was a rather sizable one, and with one swift shift, the lever, albeit rusty and threatening to break apart; did its duty. A series of holes above opened, a great measure of light to shun down upon hanging crystals, allowing for a brighter and clearer view of the room. And when their eyes adjusted, Ilia's mouth had gaped, slightly. Though, Emerald's bulged as she spun in place, marveling at the sight that surrounded her; mounds of gold and scattered gems littered across the floor. A couple of boulders hand destroyed a couple of stacked chests, with pearls and assorted jewelry mixed in with the rest of the trove of treasures. "Emerald..." Jaune called out calmly, the thief froze in place as she realized she'd been reaching towards a nearby pile. She turned to face the blond with a 'hand caught in the cookie jar' look. She had just realized what this all was; the city's vault. The temple housed Xolotl's wealth, and judging by the mounds of gold she could see, either the Reavers as a whole were hoarders who put total faith in the temple to safeguard their riches, or these were the spoils of raids or wars the people of this city took. In any case, she was enticed by the plethora of riches before her, and how could she not? A single bag of these would set her up real good back in the kingdoms. She'd never had to resort to thieving again, and she'd be able to finally live a peaceful life. But, this was the money of a dead people, Jaune's people. The blond's eyes wandered around the room, then back to the thief. "Fill up a bag; we'll need the money for the trip to Vacuo. Oh, and feel free to keep a bit for yourself. Pack light, and add some silver as well. It's hardly believable for a trio of teens to be carrying around a sack of pure gold, let alone have an entire vault at their leisure. And avoid the coins with the skulls on them." If only for a second, Emerald allowed his words to settle in before she was able to act. A widened smile spread across the thief's lips as she stared gleefully at the loot before her. Ilia herself leaned down to recover a piece of coin, on one surface was an ornamental skull, fashioned with a feathered headpiece. The skull itself was more cube in nature, as were the designs of the buildings outside, and the cubic patterns on the walls. On the other surface of the coin was a similar depiction of dog to the statues outside the temple. She tossed the coin back unto the mounds before her eyes caught sight of the blond walking towards a wall. Similarly to what he had done before, he placed a palm against the wall, and a second door opened up. Before she could walk over to accompany him the blond took a mere few steps inside before walking back out with a black book in hand.

An ominous aura crawled up Amitola's spine the longer she held her gaze on the piece o literature. The lettering on both the cover and back if the book were of a language she knew nothing of. The letters themselves, if one could call them that, were more akin to claw marks than anything else. But, from the way the blond seemingly eased at the book being in his hands, he appeared relieved. "Is that what we came for?" Ilia asked.

To which the blond nodded with a softened gaze.

"What is it?" This time it was Emerald who spoke up, even with deciding between two gems she picked off from a pile beside her, she was still curious of what it was that brought them to the city.

"This is…let's call it a piece of what we need to actualize my plan."

Ilia, for the most part, was done with the cryptic talk. As much as she respected her friend, she needed to know exactly what she was getting in to. And now that the blond had his 'key' she expected an answer. Though, in a moment, she somewhat wished she hadn't.

"Do you know want to know the real reason my people were targeted by the kingdoms?" Jaune asked. "It's because of this." He held up the book to the light, allowing the girls to see the cover clearly. Though, the bigger revelation now was the cause behind the Eradication fell unto a book. But then, how? And why? What exactly was so important about the book that the kingdoms decided that the Reavers deserved to die? Jaune reached into his knapsack, recovering a few scorched scrolls and letters. "After the Atlesian army destroyed my village, Chieftain Ghira returned to remained of my village, within the debris he recovered these letters, some of which addressed to my grandfather. And while the Belladonna patriarch could speak Vul Krein, reading the scripture was not an option for him. Thus, he gave me these pieces of parchment to translate for him. I did. What I discovered..." he hesitated, an act that he rarely did, and scarcely for dramatic effect. The information he uncovered from these scrolls caused a shudder to course through his body, if only faintly. "Well, it left me with more questions than answers. Until in translating further...I realized why it was the kingdoms saw the Reavers, a simplistic and isolationist people, as a threat. According to the letters these books contain written accounts, detailed research, and ingredients for powers even I consider to be...disturbing." For him to say that, the puppeteer who creates and controls a myriad of dolls coated with toxins that either poisons, paralyzes, or slowly tortures their target; to hear Jaune say the practices of his people unnerved him was more than alarming for the two teens. Summer floated above the blond, her glass eyes shone bright silver as she descended slowly unto his open palm. "One such spell had taken a culmination of research and planning, but once it had been perfected, it would've given us the means to end all conflict..." he hesitated again, whatever it was he discovered, it made him ponder over whether to tell them or not. "What we lack are eight ingredients to assure my plan for peace comes to fruition. And once we've gathered our members, I promise you, the road ahead will be filled with hardship and pain. But I have faith in your abilities, I know when the time comes to act, we will achieve our goals, unhindered. And soon, we will take that which keeps the kingdoms safe." As Jaune's tone rose, a mural behind him was practically glowing with each word he spoke. The teens were taken back as they saw the painted figure's pale complexion, blackened veins, glowing red orbs, seemingly fixed glare had kept them frozen in place. "We will take away that which keeps the kingdoms safe, and in their desperation, they will come to us. And we will be ready." For a moment, it almost appeared as though the blond was a perfect mirror of the mural above him. And in many ways, it scared the thief. Ilia? She was genuinely disturbed by his sudden proclamation. But, even so, she still held true to her word and would remain at his side.

"And what exactly are we going to be looking for?" Ilia asked, hoping she'd get a clear answer from the boy.

Jaune's eyes narrowed as he gestured to a mural behind them. upon setting her eyes on the painting, Ilia took notice of four oddly shaped items, and four figures holding said items in their palms. "What we seek are the relics and the maidens."

 **-Nighttime-**

Emerald was sitting outside the temple; the clouds had cleared so she had a full view of the stars. Amidst all the dead that stay lay around her, she distracted herself by finding peace in her stargazing. The wind had finally picked up, brushing the cool night breeze against her cheeks as she stole glances at the empty city. A piece of her wished she could've seen this place in its prime. Yea, it was primitive, probably ancient by Atlas' standards, but it almost looked like it would've been a place for a thief like her to thrive. No cameras, not high tech security bots that could see through her semblance, she would've picked every pocket dry. The thought of it gave rise to a faint chuckle. It wasn't often that she'd fantasize about something positive, or one that would make her find humor in.

"Now there's a surprise." The thief nearly jumped on her feet; she only managed to land on her knees as she turned to face the newcomer. She relaxed a bit when she recognized the mop of blond hair. "Never thought it'd be so soon that I would get to hear you laugh." He commented, stopping just beside her. "Mind if I join you?" When she gestured him to sit, he did so, removing his cloak as he sat down.

After which the two remained quiet, as they stared off unto the night sky. Or so Emerald believed. Taking a quick glance at her leader, she was taken aback by his solemn expression as he gazed at his motherland.

"I wish I could've seen it." Emerald muttered. "Before the war."

Jaune hummed, humoring the thought of a human walking amongst a city of Reavers. "It was beautiful. Some humans used to call this place; the city hidden in the clouds. Faunas would call it; the city hidden in the mist. But for all Reavers...we called it home. Here the Reaver clans would gather for festivals, settle tribal disputes, hold tournaments…you name it, Xolotl was the place. It was even agreed, should the kingdoms try anything again, this city was to be our last line of defense. Should the city fall…then all of the Reavers might as well fall with it."

"It was that important to your people?"

"Very." Jaune's gaze fell to the steps beneath him.

Sensing the awkward tension, the thief fumbled with ideas to change the subject, and one shone brighter above the rest. "S-s-so you and Ilia…" The blond's sorrowful expression almost vanished in an instant, bringing forth more confusion than anything else. 'How long have you two…been an item?" she asked, only now realizing she was asking for a little history on her comrades. To which the blond adopted a faint grin before responding.

"Well, I wouldn't really call her and me an 'item, considering she never really liked me as a kid, and right now we're just starting off as friends." Though, he soon came to regret uttering those choice of words as he noticed a mischievous smirk widen on the girl's lips. She wouldn't tell Ilia this, no, someone like Emerald would play this out, tease him. And maybe even her if the thief felt brave enough. Considering it was still an early night, the minty-haired girl was now invested in this little topic as she not only further teased him, but at some points even got a bit too close. And while he showed little to no visible reactions to her forwardness, it didn't stop tints of pink and mild red from showing.

All the while the two were unaware of a chameleon faunus standing behind the open door to the temple, listening in on their conversation, all of which with a mixture of confusion, irritancy, and a mild blush.

* * *

 **Ok, so I had a really huge motivation to get this latest chapter out, had to revise it cause I kept feeling like I either explained too much or gave away too much of the story. So, I hope you all enjoy this latest chapter. Oh! And for those who want to know who the members of this little group will be, stay tuned for the next three chapters, two of 'em will join up soon enough.**

 **Response time!**

 **Random Stranger: I will let you all know when the story hits the canon timeline. As for the remaining members, those are surprise for later. I will say this; expect two new members in the next three chapters.**

 **Gabriel H. Sapphire:…ok, i get threesome, but I got no clue what memesome means. All the same…I agree…I think**

 **Forsaken9: All of the members shall receive cloaks, though, I was kinda hoping for the ominous look so yea, I'd say something close to the Akatsuki. Kasas will be optional, as I feel I'll have some of the members wear masks as well.**

 **X3runner: Emerald as Itachi?...that's actually an interesting way to look at it. I was thinking of keeping her closer to her character on the show; loyal and devout, but to the group. Still, yea the abilities do give her that image. Well, her and Neo. As for Winter's reaction; soon. mayhaps next chapter, mayhaps later. Stay tuned to find out.**

 **The1turtle: Poses? Now there's an idea, I'll have to rewatch some of Lelouch's speeches to get a few ideas. As for** _ **'Jaune's Suzaku'**_ **well,** **I've had an idea of who I'll use for that role. Blake's history with him, which I will have flashbacks for, would give her more grounds to try and bring urge him away from his path. Though, I really like the idea of Ruby's more optimistic and naïve hope for the world. It could be one, it could be both. Stay tuned to find out.**

 **Xealchim: I didn't really mean for the strong Naruto vibes, I honestly based the puppet idea from Alice from the game Touhou, but when people started pointing out similarities to Sasori, I gave the show a watch and…I've been influenced. And while I agree with your statement, as I said before, Jaune isn't meant to be solely good or bad. As for Summer being his mom, glad you found some enjoyment in that. I've already got the little family reunion with Ruby planned out. Hope you stick by for then.**

 **TheGamer24: Bueno, lo que si te puedo decir es que Amber no va ser parte del grupo, por razones que voy a explicar en los capítulos que vienen. En los tres que vienen pronto, entrarán dos nubes miembros.**


	10. On your feet

A week had passed since the incident by the docks, for seven days the Belladonna house mourned. As per tradition for most in the small continent; a family would mourn the dead for half a fortnight, and on the seventh day the body would be laid to rest. Though, after the discovery of who the boy was, there was resistance. Prominent White Fang members demanded a dismissal of such honor for 'filth' as they called it. To which the immediate response was a spine-shivering glare and a barely withheld Kali, nearly physically lashing out at those who would dare dishonor her son's name.

In keeping with the tone the sky was a dull gray, matching the mood of the family burying their kin. The seventh day had very few of Kuo Kuana come out to pay their respects, and even then those who did show came out more out of respect to their Chieftain, than for the blond. It was no secret now; the Chieftain's adopted son was a Reaver, such news sent ripples of both anger and confusion amongst the populace. It was clear the people held the Reavers to a light similarly to the way humans felt towards them. And as far as anyone knew, he was the last. The last Reaver died in Menagerie, at the hands of the White Fang and a mob of his own neighbors who viewed him with hatred and disgust simply for who he was. The irony in that statement had not made its impact on the people, and Ghira was sure they'd be too stubborn to admit it.

Near the outskirts of the town, within a small cemetery, Ghira stood beside his grieving wife. Her sobs were painful to hear, and the bitter truth of it all; he let this happen. The blond had begged and pleaded to be allowed to be given a chance to make a life for himself in the town. And for the first time around, he did. At first working at a small restaurant in town, and soon after, thanks to his white-haired mother, Jaune was able to open up his shop. But in allowing this, the blond was no longer under his watchful eye. Yes, there were the occasional visits, the Sunday dinner's Kali made both her children attend, and the often lettered complaints of a few White Fang Generals displeased with his son's words against them. And yet, he did nothing. Ghira had placed too much trust in the boy's resolve to adapt and learn from whatever came his way.

Therein, he felt, was the problem; he gave his kids too much freedom. He let them do as they wished in their free time, so long as they behaved maturely. Granted, he never expected Blake to remain in the White Fang, or for Jaune to have gone to such lengths to send the Fang a message.

As they lowered the coffin, the Chieftain felt his chest tighten. The cold air against his skin was nothing compared to the trembling caused by the mere thought of the man that took the life of his youngest cub. The most he could do without stirring up attention from the kingdoms, or inciting conflict within the faunus community, was exile Taurus. Thankfully, Blake stayed behind, willingly. After the death of her brother, she became deadly silent, and refused to speak or see anyone. It was only for the burial that she chose to leave her room, but even so, she made no sound, spoke to no one. And all the while, she avoided having to look her parents in the eye. How could she? She was still reeling in from the fact that she discovered her brother's corpse with Adam's blade embedded in him. And Taurus made no attempts to hide or negate it. In fact, he seemed proud to have killed Jaune, declaring his actions to have been for the greater good. Suffice to say Blake slapping him across the face in the aftermath of the fire, sent a clear message; they were done. This was something Ghira found great pleasure in, but, he found himself unable to savor any positive sentiments as he watched his only son be buried at so young an age.

The service was small, with few if any who came to pay some sliver of respect. There were a few humans present, two actually. One was the brown-haired girl that would often frequent the blond's shop. And beside her, a grey-haired man dressed in mourner's clothing. It was odd seeing a human in traditional Faunus clothing, but it wasn't unwelcomed.

Within an hour the sermon went, praying to whatever deities were popular nowadays. Once the preacher finished the blessings, they began to cover the hole. With each patch of dirt shoveled in, Blake felt a piece of her die inside. She never wanted this to happen; she was promised this wouldn't happen. Adam swore no one would die...and yet, here she stood. As the dirt had finally covered the coffin in its entirety, Blake felt all of the pent up guilt and pain burst forward. Though she had cried for days, she still had tears to shed.

Only four shed tears openly, the Belladonnas, and the brown-haired girl who frequented the boy's shop. As the final bits of dirt were placed gently atop the grave, the few that came dispersed. Their reason for being present had concluded, and the small flock chose to leave once the last shovel of dirt had been placed, much to the chagrin of the Belladonna matriarch. She eyed those that left from the corner of her eye, many of whom had once claimed to be 'friends' with her little cub. Why they chose to come when they showed no apparent respect for his funeral was both degrading, and an insult to the Belladonnas. She loved her boy, practically raised him for the Schnee that adopted him. It was one thing for the council to show such disrespect, but it cut deeper to see such lack of honor from those who once called themselves 'friends'. Even so, she payed them little mind, her attention was solely on the grave before her.

For days, Kali couldn't bring herself to accept what had happened. That night, her daughter finally returned home, after months of following Taurus and his ideals. But, upon seeing the running makeup, the reddened eyes, and a burnt picture frame of her two little ones, Kali had felt her world come crashing down. A small glimpse of orange and red, albeit small and possibly contained, shone from the docks. There wasn't much that needed to be said, she already assumed the worst. And when Blake kept mumbling apologies between her sobs, she too broke down in tears. As if to further torture her, there was little, if any of the body to examine, leaving the coroner to conclude that it had been the blade in his chest that led to the boy to bleed out, the fires did not take him; he did not suffer through the flames, but that was of little comfort to her. Piling on to her stress was the council openly opposing her son's burial in Menagerie. With their choice of words, she had been close on numerous occasions to lashing out, physically. Councilmen Ryner, especially, had garnered much anger from the Belladonnas for his role in the mob that was gathered against the blond.

Taking a glance around, she noticed that only her family and the two humans had remained. The preacher paid his respects, and left. With everyone gone, the grey-haired man approached the Chieftain.

"Ghira, you have my condolences. Truly, I am sorry." The man spoke, adjusting his glasses as he addressed the Chieftain of Menagerie. "If there's anything I can do, you need only ask."

"I appreciate the gesture, Ozpin. But for now, my family and I must grieve." The Chieftain responded, withholding his urge to lash out at the headmaster who had TWO of his own agents in town that could've easily lent their help to his son that night. And yet, one was getting plastered, and the other was babysitting the aforementioned drunkard.

"I understand." Ozpin bowed to the family, and left with his companion not too far behind.

Staying for longer to pay their proper respects, the Belladonna family took their time leaving. Although, the day remained cloudy, with the cold winds and feeling of droplets upon their skin. It was as if the sky as well wished to mourn for the loss of a species. And it wasn't only the humans to have sent the Reavers to extinction, but the faunus as well played a role. But for what? What was the point in hating the Reavers? It was a question Blake asked herself numerous times, both in growing up with Jaune, and many times since his passing.

As the family arrived in their home, Blake could hear her father attempting to speak to her, but she ignored him. She walked towards old memories, ignoring the pleading voice of her mother. The guilt in her heart did not weigh down her intent to ignore her family, rather, it seemed to further her isolation. She locked herself, not in her old room, but her younger brother's room. It stayed relatively the same, something Kali did in case he ever decided to come back home. Just seeing it made the teen's heart ache all the more. Jaune, as per his namesake enjoyed the vibrant color of gold, mixed with the Belladonna colors of black and purple. The entire room matched the outfits he and Kali wore. A testament to the many traits he picked up from her, that and their playful mother's sass...and their father's stubbornness. Though, the latter was a trait they both displayed with pride.

Too much, sadly.

She sat atop his bed; on the nightstand was a framed photo of the blond and her, this one of the two celebrating Jaune's first birthday as a family.

It wasn't long after he was taken in that Blake was made aware who he was, where he came from, and why he often cried himself to sleep. And it made her protective, to a fault. She remembered dragging him everywhere she went, trying to get him to talk to her, and often to play with Ilia as well. Those memories seemingly resurfaced after she finally came home. What were once warm memories that brought a nostalgic smile to her face; now only haunted her dreams.

* * *

 **-Present day, Xolotl-**

Sitting idly, with his arm on the armrest of a backless throne, a blond ponders on why he was dreaming of home. Of Kuo Kuana. It wasn't unwelcomed, he longed for those days; times where the Fang were of a different ideology, where his sister and he weren't at one another's throats over what was immoral and what was justice. But those times were long over, the world moves on, ever forward to its end. Having read through the better half of the book, the blond discovered a few useful sections. And therein lay a rather interesting development; magic. Or, at least something akin to such. Though, he felt reluctant to use it; both the overused word, and the power itself. Considering the outcome for those who relied heavily on the lost art, he preferred his current appearance as opposed to becoming a grimm color scheme. His companions were unaware of its existence, of that the blond made a mental note to correct. Well, Ilia mostly, Emerald was still a wild card. Yes, she agreed to join them, but the blond wasn't too sure whether she'd stick around. Even with all the gold he seemingly gave her access to, he didn't latch onto the naive idea of immediate bonds.

Nevertheless, he'd start off with something simple, a relatively easy and mundane spell. Funny enough, for a book, an archive of his people's history and advancements on the unknown, such a ridiculous passage was one of the first he learned. Still, he did see the potential it could bring forth. Of course, he knew of a certain few who would definitely enjoy what this little spell affected, particularly for him. But then, it wouldn't exactly be a heart-warming reunion.

His eyes shifted to where he felt a small toy landing gently on his lap. Summer had her eyes fixed on him. Or rather, his silver eye. She'd been quiet, eerily so. It could've been to keep Emerald in the dark about what Summer was. Still, now that the two were alone, Jaune expected her to say something, but, she remained mostly silent.

"What? Nothing to say to your son? I assumed you'd have questions." His tone wasn't hostile or condescending, simply neutral at best. Summer's attention was focused on his silver eye. And in many ways, that irritated him. He placed his right palm just beneath his left eye. Her eye lids, an unnecessary addition unto her facial features, flickered.

" _You...have...my...eye..."_ She almost sounded joyful, had the haunting echo that came with her raspy voice not prompted the idea of another sentiment.

The blond sighed, tiredly. "...since birth. Gramps told me to keep it to myself...pa did too." The mention of his father garnered the doll to furrow its brows, another unnecessary feature he added, but was prideful of. "But then, I didn't want my tribe to have another reason to dislike me. It's bad enough I was born a half breed, but for me to-" The blond felt a cold wooden palm press tightly against his lips.

He glanced to Summer, her brows narrowed at him. "…I'm sorry…when you're reminded each day, by your own family no less, that your existence was a mistake; at some point you start believing it yourself…especially when there's no one to tell you otherwise…" That jab wasn't solely aimed at her, though, it certainly appeared as such. But before she could respond, a voice called out from the doorway.

"Found him!" The sudden shout from the minty-haired girl broke the boy's train of thoughts as he glanced towards the door where emerald and Ilia walked through, both with slightly irritated expressions directed at him.

"I swear this place was built like a maze 'cause it took us forever to find this damn room...uh, you alright there?" Emerald asked, taking a better look at the room where the blond sat in. The stone throne by which the blond sat on was placed in the middle of what appeared to be a room of collective smaller seats. It could've been a meeting room, or perhaps the throne room. The two teens waited for a response from the blond, only to see him lost in thought again.

Rather, Jaune's eyes closed, his breathing relaxed as he sat straight. "Yes, just thinking of what we're gonna do moving forward." He responded, closing the book in his lap calmly. The trio sat in collective silence, with the girl's gazing awkwardly around the room before turning their attention back to the blond.

"Sooooo...no lesson this time?" Emerald referred to how Jaune would often give them an insight of whatever bits of his people's culture he could remember, mostly ones pertaining to traditional customs. In a way, it was like having a tour-guide for a leader, but only mildly annoying and none of the happy-go-lucky, Davey, attitude.

In response, Jaune smirked and stood up, slowly. "No, not this time. How are we on supplies?"

"We have enough rations for two weeks, three if we don't mind missing breakfast." Ilia commented, coming across with a playful tone. Emerald retrieved a map from her pack; her eyes scanned the surrounding area, darting from land mark to ridge, as if searching for something.

"Nearest village is a day's hike from here. Awfully close to a pariah race, don't you think?" she remarked.

"The people of Xolotl didn't make a habit of killing their neighbors. At least not the ones who stayed on their side of the miasma." Jaune leaned over and took immediate notice of the settlement Emerald was referring to. "We'll take the south-eastern route, make our way to back to a nearby town to pawn some of the gold, and from there we'll take an airship to Mistral." As his finger trailed their path, the first to make a comment was Ilia, beating Emerald to the punch.

"I thought we were headed to Vacuo, something about looking for a dusty old crow."

"Change of plans." Jaune responded, grabbing his bag beside the thrown before making his way to the exit. Leaving his two companions alone in the room.

"Damn, and I already packed warm." Emerald murmured. The two shared a faint look before rushing after the blond since neither knew how to navigate the ruins.

All the while they were unaware of a singular crimson orb glaring down on them from the ceiling. It made no movement, it showed no interest in attacking, it merely hovered and observed; as per its orders. Its focus for the entirety of the exchange, and since their arrival, was the blond leading them.

* * *

 **-Eight hours later-**

The walk was long, mostly quiet, and uneventful. This was a pleasant thought for the blond; however, what he could do without was the small groans and mumblings from his companions. For a while they discussed using the gold to purchase a vehicle, to avoid the need for walking. Their first suggestion was a car, a reasonable idea if not for the fact that they lacked one crucial item besides money; a license. Though, it was entertaining to hear them speak civilly and not resort to mind-numbing bickering. What made him scoff; releasing a curt chortle was when they suggested an airship. Aside from the fact that not only did they probably not have enough for even a personal airship, he was quite positive driving a car versus driving an airship were two extremely different circumstances.

Regardless, they continued their walk deeper into the thickets; a small strand of light shone their exit from the overgrown forest. Though it was just a ways away, the trio took their sweet time, stopping to rest before proceeding.

Emerald leaned against a tree, taking a small nibble from one of her rations to sedate her current hunger. After which, she retrieved one of the gems she had taken from the treasury, fiddling around with it to pass the time. Ilia sat on a tree's root, choosing instead to take a sip from her canteen, her eyes fixed on the blond she had chosen to follow, he remained standing in place, showing no signs of fatigue or need for nourishment. It was odd too, considering he was hefting another of his damn dolls secured neatly in a gold and ebony wrapping. And she wouldn't say it aloud, but something felt off about him since they left the temple, his movements almost jagged, forced. And to top it off, all but his eyes were covered, and even then when she gazed into them, she swore they almost appeared lifeless.

"Soooooo…I couldn't help but notice a lot of carvings and emblems involving spiders in that Reaver city. What's that about? Your people had a thing for blood suckers?" Emerald asked, twirling the gem in her hands out of boredom.

Jaune spared her a side glance. "That's a long story."

"We got time." Ilia called out, showing no intention of getting up at the moment, and Emerald shared the sentiment.

The blond remained silent, this particular part of his people's history was known only to them, mostly because the outside world had forgotten the history the Reavers once played, and chose to alienate his people. Granted, there was a reason for their fear, but to go as far as to banish them into the wilds. "Before I answer that, let me ask you something; who writes history?"

While Emerald groaned at the prospect of some form of a history lesson, Ilia showed more intrigue. The two said nothing, mostly 'cause they knew he'd answer his own question not too long after. "The victors. Case in point, the derogatory titles the kingdoms cemented into my people's image, leading to our race being renamed; Reavers."

The two were now genuinely curious; it sparked when he uttered the word race, as if separating his people from humans and Faunus alike. More so, hearing him say that the tile Reavers was a name given to his people by the kingdom's made the name sound more and more derogatory now that they thought about it.

"But, to be whole-heartedly honest it's not much different from the name they dubbed us when our species first met." A faint hum escaped his lips. "Did you know they once called us Weavers."

A pregnant silence followed that little revelation, followed by a faint chuckle escaping Emerald's lips, the names were only different due to a single letter, but it made Ilia think harder on the subject. Did her people always have the name Faunus? Or was it something given to them by humanity? And if so, what name did her people have for themselves before humanity's brand stuck.

"We were given the name because of this." Blue strings extended from the blond's finger tips, slithering outward and encircling the surrounding area; giving off the impression of seemingly endless threads. "Aside from a shared genetic ability, my people were rather gifted artisans and scholars; primarily craftsman by trade. It kind of makes sense if you know the patron animal my people based our culture around. But, as I said, Weavers was just another name the outsiders called us. From what my grandfather told me, humans at the time couldn't pronounce our race's name without stuttering or looking like absolute fools." And in that moment, as the blond chuckled, the two companions could've sworn they heard an echo in his laugh, not to mention he appeared perfectly still. "So they branded us with their own words, it fit at the time so there wasn't much issue on that front…problems only started coming up when scholars began looking into arts most folk would rather leave undisturbed." As he said that, Summer hovered just beside his head, her silver eyes practically glowing; an indication of what exactly the curiosity of one people could result in.

Aside from the disturbing thought, as Ilia was slowly getting used to her partner's haunting quirks, she leans towards him with her interest peaked. Rather, one specific topic he brought up caught her attention, and it raised quite a few over her own people's history as well. "And what is it your people called themselves before you were branded by humans?" She didn't know what it was that separated the Rea-…Jaune's people from humans, but it was enough of a difference that brought genocide onto their doorstep. However, that didn't mean his people's culture should die with him, not while he still breathes at least.

"I don't remember much, but I know the Vacuon and Xolotl word for our people is Irañas, for my tribe it was Locke…those are the only two that I know of; the other tribes had their own translations, but they are lost to me. Simply put it, the name means; spider-kin or silk-folk, either name fits." Jaune stopped, his head reared back as if contemplating something. "I suppose studying as an acolyte had its merits, I got to learn what little was left of my people's history." His head slowly reared forward, Summer landed gently atop his head.

"Soooo…" Jaune's eyes turned to Emerald, the minty-haired thief was tossing a jewel in the air whilst keeping her attention fixed on him. "Which do you prefer?"

"There's no point; the line ends with me." His tone was stern, and the way he said it made the girl's assume he was determined to uphold that statement. "Humans and faunus won't care either way; I'll always be a 'Reaver' to them." Without warning, both the blond's and doll's head turned towards the thicker bushels of the forest. Giving no indication of his intentions; Jaune began walking deeper into the thickets, causing his two companions to bolt from their seats. Neither was too thrilled with having to move again, but the sudden erratic behavior of their leader had them curious.

Though, as they delved further into the forest; Ilia could've sworn she caught a whiff of smoke. As they were reaching a clearing, a house came into view or rather, a currently burning cottage on a small hill. Outside the burning building was a lone figure, face first in the dirt with a trail of blood leading to a young boy, silver haired, and judging by his bloodied metal legs; the apparent killer lingered.

Upon seeing the new arrivals, he took a step forward, both Emerald and Ilia reacting with gripping the hilts of their weapons. Though, the blond did not waver, rather, he merely mirrored the boy's actions. Ilia's hand shot towards Jaune, gripping his arm.

"Ami." He gave her a sideways glance. "I'll behave, promise." She wanted to believe him, but his lifeless eyes made it all the more hard to. Hesitantly, she let go, keeping her hand firmly on her weapon.

As Jaune took a few steps closer to the silver-haired boy, the aforementioned killer noticed something eerie about the blond approaching him; apart from the human sized object on his back, the ridiculous cloak his little group wore and the Mistrali styled masks; he looked almost dead. He couldn't tell through the guy's face, but through his movements, it almost felt mechanical. And it sent an unnerving chill up the boy's spine; as if a lifeless husk was approaching him.

Once the two were a few feet from one another, the blond's eyes glanced towards the corpse for a moment before refocusing back on the killer.

"You know…" The blond spoke first, somewhat catching the silver-haired one off-guard. "Most preteens tend to just wear black."

The boy blinked.

The girls blinked.

Jaune remained stoic. It would appear he was taking an odd approach with this one. "So, who's this?"

"What's it to ya?" The boy responded, though he held no visible weapon, he appeared as though he went about this kill through a different method of fighting. It was a curious thing, and Jaune intended to uncover how this one went about killing a full grown man.

"Nothing really, just curiosity."

"Didn't think the White Fang would be poking their noses around here. You looking for Marcus Black's bounty?" He inquired, earning no reaction from the blond, but indeed from the masked minty-haired girl if her widened eyes were of any indication.

A faint, if not eerie, chuckle escaped the blond's lips, further frightening the small group as they could've sworn they heard an echo as well. "I'm afraid I don't follow on the bounty, though, I can assure you no one here is White Fang. Mister…?" The venom when he mentioned the Fang was a clear as day; he had no warm sentiment towards the faunus group.

"Mercury. And if you're not Fang or bounty hunters, then I'll just be on my-" As the silver-haired boy was attempting to walk past the masked blond, an arm shot upwards, blocking his path.

"I'm afraid our business has not concluded." The girls partially unsheathed their weapons, leaving the boy to remain in place lest he be ganged on by these masked creeps. "You said this man had a bounty on his head? How much?"

"What do you care?" Mercury snarled, recoiling only when he noticed the seemingly soulless pupils staring directly at him. The masked blond gave no response, instead waiting for an answer to his question. Realizing the situation he was in, Mercury growled lightly before answering. "350k." He had hoped that would've satisfied the masked creep, although, given the small chuckling that followed with his response; he wished it didn't.

"And you managed to kill him? Impressive…care to fight me?" By then Ilia was internally cursing at her partner, wanting to knock some sense into him for challenging a kid who just sent a high priced bounty to an early grave. Visibly, she was shaking, less for Jaune's safety, more for Mercury's. Jaune's tactics revolved around hit-n-runs, and most often surprise ambushes. In this scenario, while he was in clear view of this kid, there was something she only now took note of; Summer was nowhere to be seen.

Emerald for the most part was curious, more to see how her boss would handle this kid, and wondering if he had a plan to bring this silver-haired preteen into their little group. A little piece of her was against it, but she chose not to voice her objections. Yet.

"You seriously challenging me?" He was confident, good; it would make his defeat all the more enjoyable.

"Hmm, I'm so confused as to what I've been doing so far." Jaune mumbled, still joking about, and it was beginning to irritate his opponent. Seeing this, the blond made a rather bold attempt at his next choice of words, knowing full well the ramifications should he lose. "I know; let's set some stakes, that should motivate you. If I win you lend me your services." This caught the small group completely by surprise, more so Ilia. "Putting it simply; you will work for me until I say otherwise."

"And what if I win?" Mercury was testing the waters, at first glance these few weren't exactly clear threats; if anything they just looked like dressed up kids playing the part of a small gang. Although, from first glance at their quality of weapons the masked blond's companions had, not to mention the odd package on his back gave an indication they might have something worth his time on them. And even if by some chance he lost; he didn't exactly have anywhere to go.

"Well…that's not going to happen, but I can humor you with something if it'll help you feel better…perhaps; I'll let you walk away from all this…or crawl." The amount of shock was evident on all present; no one expected that response from him, least of all his companions who were seeing their leader in a new light. Well, one of them was, Ilia held on to the blond's word that he wouldn't kill needlessly, and she hoped this was one of those occasions where the boy was pulling a risky convincing bluff. The last thing she wanted was to be working for another Adam.

Emerald on the other hand was somewhat impressed, though, she waited to see if his bark had any bite. Talking was one thing, action was another. And if the past few days with this blond taught her anything; he only ever had one chance to gain a single finishing blow against an opponent. And since she couldn't see the little silver-eyed doll on his head, she simply stood back and waited for the inevitable to occur.

Mercury, surprisingly, still kept up a façade. "Gee, aren't you a charmer. I never agreed to a fight either way."

Just like that, out of nowhere, the blond burst out laughing, shocking and scaring those who heard his outburst. After enjoying his little fit, he locked his eyes with Mercury's. "How amusing of you to assume I would just let you walk away like that." Fear seeped into the silver-haired killer. The body at his feet was a ruthless kill, and he still had a good ounce of fight in him, but, the way this guy went about, the toxic aura humming around him; turning tail and running felt instinctively the most viable option. And yet, he remained firm thanks to his pride unwilling to back down from the blond's challenging tone. "You see, Mercury, when you take out a man with a bounty of a little over a quarter of a million lien on his head; it automatically makes you viable threat. And I would rather deal with an issue now, rather than allow it to become a hindrance later on." Mercury swore on his remaining limbs he saw the blond's lifeless eyes glowing. The blond removed his wrapped doll, standing it upright beside him. "You can either fight me, or you run and I hunt you down. There is no in between." Extending out his arms, a set of claws sprung from his sleeves, sharpened and glistening in the sunlight.

A pregnant silence followed, neither party made a move. That is, until Mercury felt a stinging pain originating from his upper left thigh, his eyes darted only for a split second to see the cause of his pain; three needles embedded into his skin. A strange purple liquid oozed from the wound as his eyes returned to the blond, only to recoil as the masked creep had made a bee-line for him with a set of claws aimed at his head.

Reacting on impulse alone, Mercury skid backwards, avoiding what would've been a rather splitting headache; metaphorical and literal. In retaliation, and seeing the blond stagger, possibly due to the weight of his fancy claws, the silver-haired assassin swung his leg at Jaune's head. Though, as his foot was to make contact, the blond's arm rose up, shielding his head with a metallic clank echoing in the valley.

With unusual speed, Mercury delivered a set of consistent attacks, most of which were by use of his legs. He'd taken an offensive approach, wisely speculating that the blond would be deterred by his current attire. Though that observation proved to be true, the blond still reacted managed to keep standing despite the repeated blows struck across his body.

This would go on for several minutes; Emerald and Ilia remained on the sidelines, watching the fight between these two continue with parried attacks, and small hits here and there. The silver-haired boy was fast, striking the blond on more than one occasion. Though, he assumed his opponent must've been wearing heavy armor since most of his attacks did little to no damage to him from what he could see. To add on to the disturbing traits of his opponent; Mercury could've sworn he heard clanking wood with each of the blond's movements.

As if the oddity of his opponent wasn't enough, he had begun to feel light-headed, drowsy even. And an excruciating pain ringing across his body, the epicenter of the sudden pain originated from his thigh, where the needles were still embedded, taunting him. Somehow his opponent poisoned him, and without him seeing from where the attack came.

Seeing the change in his opponent's strategy, Jaune purposely allowed one of his arms to wander ever so subtlety, giving his opponent a small opening. Mercury caught this little aversion; as did Ilia. Seizing this small window of opportunity, Mercury swung his left foot as hard as he could, not only striking the masked blond's head, but also seemingly knocking the boy's head clean off with a sickening crack.

Ilia stood frozen, shock and anger were what dominated the cyclone of emotions wreaking havoc in her head. This couldn't have been the end, the damned blond wouldn't just drop his guard like that, and he most certainly wouldn't pick a fight unless he had a plan. And yet, just seeing this all transpire induced a great deal of fury within Ilia. She felt her body react on its own; unsheathing her dagger and taking small steps towards the silver-haired killer. She was prepared to dive in, had she not seen something that proved a hunch of hers correct.

In that split second, as the head flew through the air, Mercury felt an unnerving sense of dread course through his veins, more so since he saw no blood from the sudden decapitation. Worse yet, his body felt frail, his vision growing more distorted with each passing second. Within seconds of swaying and desperate attempts to remain awake, Mercury collapsed unto his knees, his eyes locked on the rising body he just decapitated. The body froze, as did the head, the mask had fractured from the attack. As it crumbled, he was greeted with a face lacking in flesh. The sounds of clanking wood echoed in the clearing as the limbs disjointed, visible sets of blue strings connected, not towards the floating torso, but from the now shifting doll that blond had been carrying. To the shock of the three watching, Jaune unraveled the bandages, revealing himself to have been under wraps from the beginning.

"The poison took longer than I expected." He commented, flexing his fingers; blades were drawn from the wrists of his puppet's arms. They moved swiftly, pressing the edge of their blades firmly against Mercury's neck. Coupled with the fact that he couldn't move, and the blond he decapitated was actually s lifeless husk; Mercury felt an unnneriving realization hit; the bastard had won from the start. His challenge was nothing more than bait; and it indeed snared his prey. Speaking of, his actual opponent was walking slowly to him; twirling in his hands was a set of needles, the tips coated in some violet liquid. Locking eyes with his damned opponent, Mercury saw a sight that caused all hatred and anger to dissipate, replaced with unbridled fear as he looked upon the right half of the blond's face; veins pulsating and very much a deep shade of abyssal ebony. His left eye was a glowing silver orb, however; the right glowed a sickly crimson shade.

"Now then, Mercury…" If his appearance wasn't enough, the eeire factor of it all was topped with a shivering echo with each word the blond spoke. "Stand."

He did so, but not of his own accord. The only thing he held control of was his wandering eyes, pleading for either clarification, or release. Jaune raised his palm, as if beckoning the boy to approach him. And with the wave of his finger, Mercury found his body moving independently, the pain from the poison strengthened with every movement he made. He hissed, groaning while the venom surged throughout his body, and the blond seemingly pleased with the occurring events. It wasn't until Mercury noticed a light blue string emanating from Jaune's fingers, leading towards him that he realized; he was just like the headless husk, a puppet.

Emerald felt an eerie sense of empathy, having been in a similar situation, though; she could only imagine what it must've felt like to have venom coursing through a body whilst being forced to move. Still, even while watching all of this unfold; she had to wonder just how much aura her leader must've had to be able to control his puppet from the temple to now. Granted, there were moments when a few of them separated to...alleviate certain facilities, however, she hadn't noticed the switch between himself and the lifeless husk.

Ilia was unusually quiet, aside from watching the blond's head come clean off, regardless of it belonging to his damned puppet, she couldn't help but wonder what exactly his plan was now. Would he actually force this kid to follow him, under fear of hunting him down and repeating this scenario should he attempt to escape? In many ways, seeing him act like this was surreal.

"Now, this can only end two ways." Mercury tensed, realizing now he was in no position to resist, even if he wanted to. He had no control of his body, and this blond made it quite clear he wasn't going to let him leave so easily. Another flex of Jaune's fingers had Mercury uncomfortably close. And it was only then that he noticed the blond's attire. A rather daring choice of wardrobe, a helpful distraction to the current predicament, but a bit confusing as now he was mildly curious as who he or she was. "So here are two options you can chose from; you can join us, accompany my group and myself in our travels. I cannot promise a safe and quiet journey, but I can promise you a place to rest your head, money to earn by whatever means, a hot meal every day, and a team to watch your back."

There was another silence that followed with his sudden offer, though; Mercury was at a loss for words. It was true he had no place to go from here, and he wasn't exactly thinking ahead when he burned down his own home. In actuality; he didn't think he'd make it this far. And yet, here he stood; at the mercy of an ambiguous leader to some group he next to nothing about. The promises the blond made were all appealing, no question there. But he wasn't exactly convinced of it just yet.

"Doesn't bother you that I killed someone?"

"I don't believe in killing needlessly. But if the man had a bounty on his head, who am I to complain whether he's dead or not? Actually, I would say his fate is justified." Jaune reached into a pouch by his left thigh. After a moment he retrieved a vial of light-purple liquid. With no hesitation, the blond reached down and yanked the blond yanked off the three needles. Dripping two drops on each wound opening, Mercury felt the effects instantly; the pain in his thigh ceased, and the pain was fading from his limbs as well. However, while a bit of his strength returned, he still had no control over his body.

In forming a fist, the blue strings snapped, freeing Mercury as he fell unceremoniously to the ground, clutching his chest. Glancing upwards he took note of the two companions of the blond at his side, their eyes locked on Mercury as Jaune kneeled down to eye level, his unsettling smile made the silver-haired boy shiver just by being so close to it. "Granted, I have no intention of forcing you; when I said I'd deal with you; my goal was to reach an agreement where you will not pose a threat or hindrance to my plans down the line. Death is not the only alternative. You can, at this very moment, simply say no to my offer and that'll be all. We leave you to your devices, and we will be on our merry way…or…" Jaune's hand extended towards the boy. "You can accept my offer. What say you, Mercury?"

 **Let me start off by saying I am truly sorry for the long wait. The device I used to write this and several of my other stories decided to break down on me. Several chapters were lost, I worked pretty hard on them to assure there wasn't only exposition and that the stories had that extra bit of fun and keeping a mystery…six chapters for this story alone gone…it was depressing to see all that work just go like that. It left me in a rut, and I chose to create another story, that's actually been really fun for me to write as well, it kept me in the spirit to attempt to rewrite what I remembered. But I digress. I will attempt to maintain a good upload schedule, but with my shift change and a few other promises throughout this month, it might be a little slow in the beginning. Once again, I'm sorry for the long wait.**

 **Also, real quick, there will be time skips in the coming chapters; the events of the first season will be reached, once all members are recruited. Well, the important ones.**


	11. Red Dawn I

Within the northern regions of the Mistral kingdom's borders, an ongoing, albeit silent, war rages between the Atlesian Military and the White Fang insurgents. With the rise in Fang recruits and the kingdom of Mistral's forces spread thin as it is in peacetime, a collaboration between the two kingdoms resulted in a heated conflict, spanning most of northern Anima. With the tension between the two species, more often than not; skirmishes tend to lead to absolute victory for one side, the victory going primarily for the more technologically advanced kingdom. And yet, for all their progress and wisdom, it would inevitably lead to hubris. And from hubris, a split forms at the base of their tower; small, baring no reason for worry or correction. But soon that sense of comfort leads to a false sense of security; that split warrants neither devotions nor attention with other pressing matters, such as building the tower grander.

But then, the split grows, they always do, it's an inevitability. And when it does, from it grows more cracks, spreading to different sections, spanning across the entirety of the lower base of the tower. One would assume those that built the tower would tend to it, to every section of its creation to make certain their legacy would stand tall for years to come.

Not Atlas, their eyes are always facing upwards, constantly imagining how much higher they can build, rarely ever does anyone bat an eye down. Those that do, those that see the cracks, who foresee the inevitable are often labeled radicals and extremists, marring the image of their future with doubt and unfounded fear.

And so they continue upwards, the weight of their unchecked hubris feeding the growth of the weakening foundation until the day it happens.

When it falls, and it rest assured, it will; all their splendor and glory will crumble into equality. The lavish and new upper tower will be indistinctive from the forgotten and ruined lower tower.

The problems of the downtrodden will be felt by those who once sneered and chose to ignore. No one will be able to ignore it, none will escape it. But all will understand each other's pain; the shattered stone will finally see the truth.

Yet, it never seems to be enough. For when the new tower rises from the ashes, old anguish, ancient squabbles will reemerge; inequality and death will repeat in an endless cycle. What stone needs is one single act, a singular moment that will resonate and send a clear message that will finally make the creators understand both themselves, and their towers.

And to think; it all started from one small split.

Can it be done? Maybe, Maybe not.

Though, it is an endeavor worth venturing, wouldn't you agree…

Emerald?

* * *

"Hey, Em, wake up."

With a quick jolt, Emerald's head sprung up, glancing every which way with widened eyes as she realized she'd dozed off and that she might've missed her signal. Though, when she felt a hand gripping her shoulder, and her masked partner placing a finger to where his lips would be, the minty-haired teen snapped from her mild hysteria and allowed herself to breath. Though, she did snarl at the nickname her partner just suddenly decided to give her. She quickly removed herself from his grasp as she lowered herself back in the shrubs she'd been hiding in.

Their 'borrowed' attire were winter styled Atlesian military garbs, stolen by the crimson-eyed illusionists, and with her leader giving but a simple praise at her efficiency and ability; she was content. And the mission he gave her was not outside of her capability; wait outside an Atlesian outpost, laying low until her leader and Ilia gave the signal for her to regroup and join in on the infiltration…

However…

Her eyes peered to the side, catching a glimpse of her partner with his head facing the base. Much to her chagrin, her leader had grouped her up with their recent addition; Mercury. And while his attitude and incentive to disobey or misinterpret their leader's orders for his own amusement was getting on her last nerve. Three months since the boy had joined them, and she by no means had grown fond of the boy. Yet, she couldn't ignore his efficiency; with the customized prosthetics gifted to him by their leader, and being able to go toe to toe with some of the higher ranking officials without his semblance was indeed a feat worth praising.

With all that in mind, it came as quite the shock when Emerald realized his laid back attitude and unwillingness to stick fully to their missions; it was taxing the minty-haired girl's patience.

"It's almost time." Though, if anything, his ability to put away his usual attitude for the sake of an assignment was a redeeming feature she could vaguely jot down to his aid.

Taking a moment to glance at her scroll, Emerald realized their leader's signal would come within the next minute. And when it did, the two were to head into the outpost and join their leader for the raid. She readied her weapons, shifting herself in place so that she'd be able to make a quick tread to their team's aid. Mercury remained laying down, his eyes wandering, as if searching every inch of the base for something.

"What are we looking at?" Her question was quick, and to the point, Mercury's was not so.

The silver-haired teen peered through a set of binoculars and called off, quietly, what he could see. "Three lovely snipers perched on opposite ends of the base; two near the command building, and the other at the airfield. The ever punctual patrol team consisting of two armored ATTs with mounted turrets, and around a dozen guards on foot….huh, they're actually not in formation. C'mon guys, I'm disappointed." He half-heartedly pouted.

Emerald growled lightly; the ATTs were an issue, yes, but the amount of guards at this outpost was far more in numbers than for a simple scouting base. It made infiltration all the more difficult, and dangerous. Whatever signal came their way, she at least hoped it would be a subtle and quiet one.

"Gotta give Atlas one thing, their tanks are fucking impressive." Emerald's eyes widened, her eyes snapped to the airbase, and sure enough, from one of the cargo ship's ramps was a descending armored vehicle made for the exclusive purpose of tearing apart infantry and buildings with ease. "I think those are the mark IIIs…heard those are supposed to be unmanned; no room for human error." He snorted at the notion. "Hope the boss has a plan for those. 'Cause if not, we're fucked."

If he could see Emerald's face; it was a mix of annoyance and a small tinge of uncertainty. "Ilia and Jaune will think of something, they wouldn't continue the mission if there wasn't a plan for this sort of thing. Don't forget, a storm is approaching; even the military's sensors can't pierce through the storm. It'll mask our escape." The reassurance was less for him, and more to put herself at ease.

Mercury simply shrugged and went back to eyeing the base. "Ten lien says they blow the something up."

"…" She said nothing at first. "Ten says they'll burn the hangers." Normally, she'd never take on a bet with Mercury, or anyone for that matter. Though, to make time fly just a little faster; she'd partake. Speaking of…

Glancing back at her scroll, the time was well past their intended synch, and it sprout a small seed of fear in the girl's mind as she felt the weight if time come down on her, agonizing her by forcing time to slow as she waiting for a sign; anything.

" _Nahkriin. Sahvot."_

Mercury and Emerald's fingers pressed to their headsets at the sound of their codenames respectively.

" _Change of plans, we're going loud."_

There was only a moment of pause before a resonating boom echoed in the tundra. From the airfield, from what they could see the fueling station had been rigged, as was the underside of the cargo ships. The smoldering heap collapsed unto the few tanks, and nearly crushing soldiers unlucky enough to be beneath them. They had managed to jump out of the way just in time, only to quickly realize they were under attack. They drew their weapons, aiming in every direction, searching for a target. The hangars nearby were struck with debris and were quick to catch aflame as well. The entirety of the airfield was ablaze, the siren following not too long after echoed throughout the valley. Guards from all corners of the outpost rushed towards the airfield. All but two figures emerging from the main hub, both cloaked in winter camouflage and bearing similar masks to them; their teammates were making their move.

"Damn, now if that ain't a signal." Mercury muttered, rising up from his place in the shrubs. "Looks like everyone's a winner." He quickly removed a patch of bushel to reveal a dust ski, standard issue for Atlesian reconnaissance, perfectly coated to blend in with the tundra. The two mounted the vehicle, Emerald disgruntled with having to wrap her arms around Mercury's waist. She kept her weapon at the ready, her impatience only grew with every second her partner remained idle, not even bothering to turn on their ride. Though, before she had a chance to nudge him to get in motion, the wind started to pick up, her head turned to face behind her; the storm arrived in the best moment one could ask for. Well, except for the Atlesians.

Just as the winds began to pick up to greater speeds, Mercury turned on their ride, speeding just as the storm hit their position. One of the positives with this skiv; it's agile and silent, able to pick up enough speed just as the storm was slowly creeping over them. The sight of the base straight ahead of them grew larger; her grip increased as she could hear the distinctive yells and continuous explosions from the ever expanding fire.

" _Sahvot."_

Emerald pressed a finger to her earpiece, signaling she heard the call. It seemed that Ilia was now taking comms, something must be occupying their leader's attention.

" _Package has been acquired, but our skiv is compromised; you and Nahkriin need to find us another way off base. We have ten minutes before they realize what we've taken. Meet up at the rendezvous point in less than five."_

"Understood, ma'am." She replied, gripping tighter once again as the skiv changed trajectory. Now, rather than heading towards their initial rendezvous point, their skiv was now on track towards the scorching airfield. "The hell do you think you're doing?" She snarled, realizing they were approaching the epicenter of the chaos.

"Getting us a ride."

"On a tank?"

Mercury's laugh was only heard through their comms, though; it wasn't his usual snarky or sass-filled tone. "I wish, but no. Too slow."

"Then what? A jeep?"

"Better."

That was all the indication she would get, as the view of the airfield cleared ever so, she noticed the far end of the airfield with an open hangar, still untouched by the flames. It didn't take her long to guess what her partner was aiming for, which only served to bring her encroaching fears to the surface.

"You can't be serious?!" She screeched, her gun now cocked and aimed at any grunt she could see in the storm.

He didn't respond vocally, Mercury only sped up their skiv, making a quick tread around the scorching ruins and confused infantry. With their skiv, and the masking snowstorm around, they were able to blend in with the chaos as scouts returning from patrol, just as confused and dazed by the explosions that took out most of the outpost's air force.

* * *

 **-Meanwhile-**

As the storm finally hit the outpost, Jaune and Ilia managed to find shelter in a medical ward, which for the most part was only manned by three guards and a few medical staff; all of them easy to take out. A little nap never harmed anyone, though; it was an easy assumption that this place was going to be busy once the injured started pouring in. For Jaune and Ilia, escaping was intended to be through skivs they'd 'acquired' from another outpost not far from here. However, after acquiring their intended package, their skiv had been discovered, and no doubt the grunts had enough brain cells to inform their commanding officer of an extra skiv in their supposedly unmarked outpost.

The two were huddled against a small opening near a furnace; Ilia's attention was focused on her scroll, peering through the data recovered from the outpost's archives. Her eyes only wandering from time to time to her partner, who was using his dolls to act as surveillance; clinging to the ceilings.

Their mission was supposed to be simple, infiltrate the base, recover the required data, and leave. All it took was one patrol deciding to cut their rounds early by crossing a path rarely used and stumbling upon the skiv. Hearing the report of an abandoned skiv just outside the base was enough to shut down their entire operation. Realizing they were about to be caught, they triggered the explosives, direction the attention of the Atlesians away from them, but it also placed the outpost on high alert. Still, all eyes were on the airfield, and thanks to the storm; communications between this base and any support nearby was going to be just a tad late. Though, they knew for damn sure the server hub had already alerted command of their intrusion. Their area was going to be swarming with Atlesians once the storm passed.

"Is it there?" Her eyes peeked over to her partner, his eyes were closed, the clanking of his dolls echoed in the silent ward.

Ilia continued surveying the files until a single image popped up on her screen. She pursed her lips as she shut the scroll off. "Yea…and you were right." She spat out, taking a small gold coin from her pocket and flipping it his way.

"Don't sound so excited." He teased, catching the coin as his eyes opened again. He rose up, his dolls were quickly at his side once more, in hand were maps and shattered fragments of whatever security cameras they encountered. The blond took one of the parchments and extended it over a nearby table. Ilia following close behind as she eyed the highlighted red ink marking several locations. "Atlas has been busy, I'm pretty sure Mistral isn't aware of these 'off-the-record' outposts. And from the looks of it, their main goal isn't just to target Fang bases within the surrounding areas." He commented, slightly impressed by all the marked off Fang outposts the kingdoms were able to wipe out. For Ilia, it was a strange feeling in her gut that forced her to accept the reality of her situation; though she no longer was a part of the Fang, she still sympathized with a select few; she knew their reasoning for resorting to the Fang's ideologies. But knowing what she knew now, she wouldn't go as far as to justify their actions; they were terrorists, and she left just as things started to vamp up to cult levels of fanaticism.

"There's no mention of prisoners being taken either…" She replied, her hand caressing the hilt of her weapon, a gift given to her by her partner as a means to protect herself. She'd been using it far more than she thought she would, and much of it was in the name of her partner's goal. Which, although she still had a few issues with, did not deter her from being at his side. Though, she wouldn't deny the uneasy sight of Emerald warming up to his views, seeing the 'logic' in his reasoning, and even going as far as to completing her missions with such a expecting expression afterwards; like a child handing their parents a report card and vying for some form of reaction or validation.

And, much to her amusement, Emerald on recent occasions had been trying to ease her way into accompanying the blond on missions. It was a small entertainment to watch, though, she felt a slight pang in her chest when the blond did indulge her little pleads.

That being said, Mercury was not too far off; the boy often tested the waters of the blond's patience, but never to go as far as to warrant any physical action. Still, with the flow of lien and food being a constant, Ilia had no doubts the silver-haired edge-lord would stick around for a good while.

"Vahlok?" She was snapped from her daze as she gazed back to her friend, the two masked teens stared at one another before Jaune gestured to the map. "You ok?"

"…? Sorry, I tuned out for a second." She admitted, receiving a whispered sigh from Jaune.

"Stay focused, Nahkriin and Sahvot will be completing their goal shortly, hopefully with something that has heating." He muttered, Summer hovered slightly over him, shrouded in her own camouflaged clothing. Ilia felt the need to question the necessity for the near-haunted object needing any form of clothing. Though, she could almost hear him talking some nonsense of shielding her from the elements.

Still, she wouldn't complain, Summer and the other doll were able to act as reconnaissance, hiding in places many wouldn't think twice to give a second thought to.

The second doll came back in haste, Jaune's body language shifted, his head turned halfway towards the door. The muffled sounds of yelling and bodies pushing through the snow grew as the soldiers approached the medical ward. Without hesitation, the two teens sprang into action, diving for cover wherever they could find, shutting the door just as the ward's entrance slammed open. Seven guards poured in, collapsing unto the floors and shivering even when the doors shut behind them.

"The hell is going on out there!?" One shouted, rubbing at his arms and legs fiercely in attempt to warm up. "Everything's up in flames, comms are down, and everyone is running around like chickens with their heads cut off."

"Has command responded to our beacons?" Another soldier on the floor asked, slightly shivering but still able to form a sentence without a stutter.

The guard that shut the door, the commanding officer, judging by the bars on his shoulder, was quick to help his soldiers to their feet and to a nearby cot. "Not likely, the storm is messing with our equipment; our beacon won't reach the nearest base until the storm passes."

One soldier approached his comrades with blankets. "No one knows what's going on, not even Commander Siv, and she's-" The soldier was cut off by their leader

Their leader's eyes analyzed the entrance thoroughly, glancing around just before his head turned halfway towards his team. "Where's Doctor Diaz?" The soliders glanced to one another before their training kicked in, springing to their feet with weapons drawn.

Though, before any of the mean could advance, one of the soldiers nudged his leader, gesturing to a doll laying idly on the table in the center of the room. Beside it were what appeared to be a pair of spectacles belonging to a familiar medical officer.

"Oh no…" One of the soldiers muttered, aiming his rifle directly at the doll, shivering uncontrollably at the sight of the idle toy. Just the sight of the seemingly lifeless husk sent a plethora of unnerving shivers up the soldier's spine.

Though, his commanding officer was quick to lower the man's weapon. "Easy, Donovan, it's just a toy, probably Diaz's."

"That ain't not toy sir..." Donovan mumbled, his rifle attempting to rise once more, only to be stopped by his CO.

"Chill Donny, the fucks got you so scared of a doll?" One of the soldiers walked over and picked up the doll, eyeing it every which way before taunting his comrade by faking to toss it his way. The grunt flinched, backing away as he felt his commander's grip yanking at his firearm to keep him from turning tail. "Geez man, don't puss out on us now. It's just a fucking doll, it can't hurt anyone, isn't that right?" He asked the toy with pouting lips and a childish tone one would use when speaking to an infant.

" _I…won't…"_

"See, totally harm…" The silence that followed would forever haunt the dreams of the men in that room. Their heads, almost robotically, turned to the source of the response; the doll, still limping lifelessly in the hands of the grunt that picked her up. The soldier was frozen, unable to say or do anything but tremble at the fact that he received a response.

The doll's head turned slowly, further causing the soldier to shiver as he found himself unable to throw away the toy, eyeing it with widened eyes at its lifeless orbs stared directly at his. Its hand reached upwards, pointing to the ceiling.

" _He…might…"_

And with that little revelation the soldiers hesitantly glanced upwards, their eyes locking onto the sight above them; a ragged doll clinging to the ceiling like a spider, it moved slowly, clanking wood echoed the silent ward as it stopped just in the center of the group. Its head detached, falling just a few feet before stopping; levitating above the ground with its mouth wide open.

Without warning, the head spun, releasing a pummel of smoke that engulfed the guards without fail. It was only then that the soldiers found themselves able to move from their frightened state; Donovan had attempted to flee the building, only to slam against the door and slump to the ground unceremoniously. The rest of the group followed, each succumbing to whatever they had inhaled, all except the CO, who managed to stay awake just long enough to see two masked individuals emerge from their hiding positions, taking a brief glance at the soldiers, and then leaving. It didn't take long until he passed out as well, allowing silence to prevail once more in the medical ward.

"That was a bit much, don't you think?" Ilia asked with her finger pressed against the comm device on her ear, Summer had floated up and settled herself on Jaune's back, as did the second doll he brought along. The two were outside the medical ward, realizing the storm was still raging, but remembering their rendezvous wouldn't be empty for long. "Keep in mind these tactics are gonna get old fast, you gotta think up new ways to get the job done." She knew how that sounded, but then, it wouldn't have caught his attention if she had worded it any other way.

"I know, I have several ideas already in the works." The two were moving with just as much visibility as the storm would allow. The outpost was not just in disarray, but coupling in with the fact that the fuel was a literal beacon in the storm said quite a bit about what exactly their intentions were considering this was beginning to appear more as a refueling station rather than an outpost. "Let's keep moving." There was no response, only the blaring siren still blasting loudly as the fires raged on.

As they made treads southward, the sounds of barking and orders echoing in the midst of the storm grew louder with each tread they made. A single glance behind showed the silhouettes of soldiers rushing in the storm, though, the way the lights from what they assumed to be flashlights indicated their men were unaware of where they were going.

Realizing this, the pair continued their tread just as they reached a forest, in the nick of time too as the storm was beginning to let up, visage become clearer as a few guards spotted the two diving into the forest.

The flash storm, a sudden blanket of harsh winds and snow that struck the terrain every so often on loop. So much so that it became easy to predict its movements, allowing it to be tracked and predicted to avoid unnecessary incidents. A storm that last ten minutes would most certainly not be an anomaly, but one that hits an outpost just as a chain of explosions go off was sure to raise many red flags, and the valley was going to be flooded with Atlesian military soon, now that their communications were coming back to them.

"Guess that forecaster was right, for once." Ilia commented, running alongside her friend as they made their way southwards towards their meeting place. "You think those two had enough time to secure a ride?"

"We'll see." Jaune muttered, his voice strained what with having to carry two dolls and running through mounds of snow. "For now, just keep-"

His words were cut off as three airships flew overhead, one departed westward, one east, the other remained on course; south.

"It's headed for the rendezvous point." Ilia seethed, the worst thought came to mind as she dreaded having to see her teammates bound and bloodied after being caught by the Atlesians.

A flame burned in Jaune's eyes as his speed increased. "Then be ready for a fight." He growled.

The two were making tracks towards their meet up point, seeing the airship slow down and descend right where they were agreed to head towards. A sinking fear scrapped at the walls of the blond's heart as he expected to see a sight similar to Ilia's once the ramparts came down.

They stopped just near the edge of the clearing, their eyes focused on the lowering ramp. Neither had a long range weapon to retaliate with, however, at the distance they were at, there was no way they'd risk possibly hurting one of their own. And so, they waited with baited breath as the airship landed, and its engines powered down. The ramp came down, painfully slow as a single soldier walked out, a rifle in hand, waving at where the two were hiding.

"Hey, you coming or what?!" Ilia felt her eye consistently twitching, while Jaune released a sigh he didn't realize he'd been holding in. "Hello?!" He started waving his arms at them like an impatient child, forcing a low snarl from Ilia.

A second skiv? A good choice, they'd be able to silently escape within the thickets, so long as they made their way through familiar terrain. A jeep? A better option, plenty room, and enough fuel to make their escape trail further, it helped that Mercury knew how to drive, ironically. But…

"AN AIRSHIP?!" Ilia almost hollered, though the anger in her tone was still apparent as she and Jaune emerged from the thickets.

"I know right, Em said the same thing." Mercury laughed out.

"So much for a silent escape." Jaune mumbled, his eyes fixed on the pilot's bulkhead, seeing Emerald wave sheepishly through the window. "Didn't know either of you could fly this thing."

"We can't." He replied with a coy smirk, gesturing to the open cockpit; Emerald sat in the copilot seat with a rifle aimed at the head of the current pilot; a cadet, no older than the lot of them, with only a name tag to identify who she was; Soleil. "But she can."

* * *

 **-Atlas-**

Often enough there are no words to truly describe how one feels, sentiments that goes far beyond simple descriptions; such as anger and disappointment. And to date, there are no few words that could sum up the pain in a mother's heart from losing their young ones. It is a piercing jab, though not fatal, is by far the closest emotional toll to carry. She had it all planned out; by the end of the month her son would be sent to Patch, raised by the very much responsible mother that had adopted him, and lived a life that would've had great opportunities opened up to him once a certain figure head was removed from his place atop their family hierarchy. Now? Winter is left with nothing more than a small burnt doll scavenged from the wreckage of her son's home, and brought to her by a face she now held unbridled rage for. One favor was all that was asked of him; and he failed miserably.

Currently, the specialist sat quietly in her quarters, reeling in the information given to her by the still present nuisance. She demanded every detail, every name, and mostly importantly; the murderer. It did not surprise her at all to discover who was behind the attack, but the accomplice of said killer was what stung the hardest; to think her little one would be betrayed by the vey person he called his sister. Winter could not fathom what was going through Blake's head when she agreed to the mission, nor did she care to know. All she knew now was that she wanted Taurus' head, not for execution. No, she would hand delver unto him whatever fate she could muster to make the damned bastard crave death. And even after all was said and done, she was in no way going to give him that satisfaction.

But therein lay an issue; he was exiled from Menagerie. And given his prominence in the White Fang; his leaders were sure to have sent him to oversee one of their branches in the nearby kingdoms.

"Specialist Schnee." A muffled voice called from the other side of her door. Reluctant to ask of anything more from the drunkard, she chose instead to answer the door herself. Though, upon opening, she was met with a face she did not expect to see at this time of day. Beside an irrelevant grunt was her younger sister, looking as prim and proper as she was brought up to be. The soldier quickly stood at attention. "Pardon the intrusion, ma'am. I was ordered to escort Ms. Schnee to your quarters." With a nod and wave of dismissal, the soldier saluted once more before turning to walk away, leaving Winter with her sister.

"Hello, Winter. It's good to see you again."

"Weiss, I was not aware you were coming for a visit, had I known I would've excused any unwanted eyesores before so." Her eyes narrowed at the drunkard sitting calmly near the window, shrugging at her description of him. "However, now is not a good time."

The young heiress' expression showed visible dejection, she'd come all this way to see her sister, the least she had hoped for was a moment or two of her time. Though, a certain object caught her eye, a little burnt doll held tightly within the grasps of her older sister. A strange thing, she was not aware Winter had any such objects since becoming of age, much less one in such poor condition as this one.

Winter noticed her younger sibling eyeing her treasure with curiosity. Reacting on impulse, Winter walked over to her desk, arranged a spot for the doll and placed it comfortably beside a framed photo of her and her sister. The doll itself wasn't too damaged, the dress was slightly burnt, and most of the left arm was singed, but with a few touches here and there it would be good as new.

But she didn't want that. This was a fruit from the labor of her only child, working an honest life in his home, hiding away from persecution. And yet, even amongst those who would understand the feeling of alienation and displacement; he was shunned, betrayed, and murdered by hypocrites.

"Uhhh, ice queen?" Winter felt her fingers dance along the hilt of her weapon, hearing that accursed nickname was a part of their interactions she could do without. When turning to face her now unwelcomed guest, the first thing she noticed was a scroll in his hands, rewinding a clip he'd been watching. Without another word exchanged between the two, she took the scroll, her eyes seemingly bulged at the title of the video.

' _Atlas to remove its military from Mistral territory following discovery of hidden outposts'_

Hidden outposts? In Mistral? Winter was well aware of the joint kingdom task forces sent against the Fang operation bases hidden within the northern tundra of the Mistal Kingdom. However, while she had her suspicion, she was not aware of, or at least not informed, of hidden Atlesian bases. At first she expected this to be nothing more than an overblown misunderstanding; journalists seem to have a knack for making a fuss out of nothing. However, out of curiosity; she played the video.

' _Our story tonight; relations between the kingdom of Atlas and Mistral sour as Atlesian forward operating bases were discovered in unmarked locations across northern Mistral. This revelation comes in light of recent attacks on several Atlesian and White Fang outposts by what the council is assuming to be highly trained operatives. According to the treaty, signed by Mistrali councilman Iduna and the former Atlesian General Midas; any and all foreign kingdom soldiers and equipment were to be reported, documented, and limited to a degree so as to keep the peace between the populace of the kingdoms. The discovery of these bases is in clear violation of the agreed upon treaty, and as of noon today, Mistral is demanding all Atlesian forces to depart from its territories. Images displayed on our screens were leaked by an unknown source, video footage shows the bases harboring and deploying more forces than originally allowed. However, after a recent attack, what we are showing is what is left of a one-sided skirmish.'_

Images of destroyed tanks and Vtols came into view, along with the recently destroyed outpost with the flames from its fuel depot raging. The scurrying blurs on the ground show troopers still hard at work trying to contain the flames.

' _The group many speculating is responsible for the attacks are a pair of masked individuals who have made it quite clear; though they look the part, they do not work for or with the White Fang.'_

Blurred images of four distinctive masks were displayed beside the reporter, the masks were far from what one would associate with grimm, but rather, they felt something akin to a cultish nature. Their movements in the recorded files showed them moving with precision, eerily outstanding accuracy, and unorthodox methods in taking down their targets. Their malice was all the more evident in regards to how they attacked the Fang; brutally, and often with little to no mercy. With the Atlesians, there was evident disdain, but nothing compared to the Fang.

' _Thankfully, there have been no reported deaths as of yet. However, in light of these events the Mistral government has come out with a statement; denying any involvement with the group locals in the area are referring to as; Red Dawn._

A single image forced Winter to stop the video, one that showed a soldier on their knees, being restrained by a wooden doll latched onto his back while blue strings emanated from the tips of one of the hooded individuals. A chill ran up her spine as her eyes remained firm on this unknown. She unconsciously hit play, watching as he flexed his fingers, controlling the doll and forcing the soldier to their feet. Without even giving a single glance at the grunt, the unknown snatched away a keycard from the soldier's waist before stabbing them with a needle. It took a few moments before the soldier's body slumped, falling into deep slumber. The hooded figure walked over to a terminal, turning their attention to face the camera; knowing full well his actions were caught on tape. What made the specialist's heart pace at an alarming rate was, not only the individual's ability to manipulate the doll and use of weaponry similar to someone she knew, but rather, it were the orbs of ocean blue and silver staring from the eye slits in the mask.

She was not the only one seeing this broadcast either, for within Vale, a certain silver-haired headmaster watches intently at the individuals causing havoc up north. Though, it was less of the actions of these individuals, this Red Dawn, that unnerved him, but rather; the one he saw controlling the dolls was unmistakably a Reaver, there was no question. However, what made this ordeal more troublesome was the silver-eye being thrown into play here. The power behind those who wielded such abilities was well known to the headmaster, but never did he think it would befall into the hands of a Reaver.

This was unprecedented, unacceptable; should _she_ get her hands on this one; Remnant's demise would only be hastened. All of their work and sacrifice would truly have been for nothing. When Ironwood learned of this one's existence, no doubt his old friend would scour all of Mistral just to kill this one Reaver.

And knowing how the Valen council felt towards them, there nothing he could do either. Or was there…?

* * *

 **This chapter is a long time coming, the reason it took so long is a major writer's block and the inescapable amount of work I volunteered for. Now, I wrote this as a way to Segway back into the story, as I was eerily close to moving on. Thing is, I have a set mind on how I want this story to play out and end, but I don't want to skim right through without having some small moments of filler and fun for the cast before the weight of the plot hits them like a freight.**

 **I've also taken the free time I had to ponder what I want this Jaune to be, and how the others around him react and interact…and I've decided how I'm gonna write him. After careful consideration, I've had the set path the blond will follow, and how the others around him will end their stories as well. I'm sorry to have kept you all waiting, I will try to keep up with updates, I thank you who've chosen to stay with the story.**

 **Also, extra points for anyone who can guess the meaning behind the alias I chose for Jaune's little band of misfits.**


End file.
